Gold Square’s undefeated Grade 1 winner, Napoleon Solo, is actively preparing for a possible three-year-old debut in the $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) scheduled for February 28 at Gulfstream Park. Since mid-January, Napoleon Solo has been training in South Florida, recently completing his fourth workout at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training site in Palm Beach County. During this session, he ran four furlongs in 48 seconds, marking the fastest time among 19 workouts recorded that day.
Trainer Chad Summers shared that he timed Napoleon Solo between 1:04 and 1:14 during his gallop. For comparison, Maxfield’s promising three-year-old colt No Rain No Flowers was clocked at 49.10 seconds for the same distance. Summers expressed satisfaction with the workout, stating, “It went really well. We’re on track for where we want to be and excited about our current progress. We’ll take it day by day and coordinate with Gold Square for the next steps.”
Napoleon Solo has not raced since October 4, when he finished sixth and a half lengths behind at one mile in the Champagne Stakes (G1). His only other race was a six-furlong Saratoga debut last August, which he won by 5 1/4 lengths. Summers highlighted the advantages of training in Palm Meadows, appreciating the favorable weather conditions compared to the unpredictable climate along the East Coast.
The team’s plan involves giving Napoleon Solo six workouts before his first race, a strategy inspired by the successful approach used with Sovereignty last year. Sovereignty’s sophomore season featured a Fountain of Youth victory, a second-place finish in the Florida Derby (G1), and subsequent wins in the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1), earning him titles as the 3-year-old champion and Horse of the Year.
Napoleon Solo’s prior workouts included three furlongs in 36.45 seconds on January 14 and 21, and a half-mile in 49.11 seconds on January 28. Both the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth and the one-mile Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct—also on February 28—are being considered as potential debut races. Summers noted, “We’re here for a reason, and it’s not just the sunshine. We’ll leave the decision to Boss and Gold Square to determine the best race. He’s ready for either the Fountain of Youth or Gotham. The Gotham is a one-turn mile, not two turns, so we’ll see where he fits best.”
Napoleon Solo is among 367 horses nominated for the upcoming Triple Crown with a January 28 deadline, and one of three horses representing Gold Square. The others include Two Out Hero, a stakes winner who recently placed third in the Summer Stakes (G1) at Woodbine with trainer Kevin Attard, and Toga Twist, who placed third last summer in the New York-bred Funny Cide Stakes and is owned by a consortium including Region Racing and Flash Toga Farm.
Gold Square’s representation in the Triple Crown also comes through Cyberknife, who won the Arkansas Derby (G1) and the Haskell Invitational (G1) last year. Cyberknife, trained by Brad Cox, competed in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Summers expressed pride in Gold Square’s achievements, noting that having three Triple Crown nominees and one homebred in the mix reflects the quality of the program established by Algold and Gold Square.
He also reflected on Cyberknife’s past races: “Though Cyberknife’s Derby run wasn’t as they hoped, his Arkansas Derby and Haskell victories and second place in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) were impressive. Going back to the Kentucky Derby should be every team’s goal, and we’d love the opportunity to return this year.”
This article was originally published by the Paulick Report on February 5, 2026, and appeared in their News section.
Fan Take: Napoleon Solo’s progress is an exciting development for horse racing enthusiasts, signaling the rise of another potentially dominant three-year-old in the highly competitive season ahead. With strategic preparation modeled after champions like Sovereignty, this news highlights the deep talent and rigorous planning that continue to elevate the sport’s excitement and fan engagement.
