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Espoir USA’s Preakness (G1) winner Napoleon Solo worked a bullet five-eighths in :58 flat October 1 over the Belmont Park main track as he continues preparations for a start at the Breeders’ Cup in October at Keeneland.
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Napoleon Solo, with John Velazquez up, worked in company with the leading Spherical, closing past his workmate with ease.
“We just wanted Johnny to see that he could relax off another horse, which was mission accomplished,” Summers said. “He’ll work by himself next week and maybe we’ll do one more in company if we can find someone to go with. He did it the right way.
“To breeze in :58 and gallop out in 1:10 and 1:22 and 1 was impressive. He double-galloped out faster than they ran the Vosburgh later that afternoon,” Summers added, noting T Kraft’s Vosburgh score in a final time of 1:22.78. “He’s starting to mature at the right time. He’s a lot more focused.”
Napoleon Solo announced his presence with a front-running 6 1/2-length score in last year’s Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont at the Big A to close out his juvenile campaign. He returned to action with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth in February at Gulfstream Park and followed with a 2 3/4-length fifth in Aqueduct’s Grade 2 Wood Memorial.
Summers pointed Napoleon Solo to the Preakness and saw the Liam’s Map gray utilize a pace-pressing trip to score by 1 1/4-lengths over Iron Honor. In his two subsequent outings, he was the target as the pacesetter when second, by a half-length, in both the Grade 1 Haskell to Baby Vino in July at Monmouth Park and to Leading Change, with Velazquez aboard Napoleon Solo for the first time in the afternoon, in the Grade 1 Travers on August 29 last out at Saratoga Race Course.
“He’s a brilliantly fast horse that doesn’t need the lead. Unfortunately, when nobody else is fast enough, you find yourself on the lead,” Summers said. “In the Breeders’ Cup, Magnitude is brilliantly fast, Knightsbridge is brilliantly fast.”
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While it seems likely that Napoleon Solo will test his mettle in the Classic rather than the Dirt Mile, Summers said lining up Velazquez, who guided Authentic to victory in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, was paramount.
“I wanted Johnny to get on him at least one time to get a little feedback,” Summers said. “He’s won the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland before. Johnny was raving about him after the work and said he wished he could breeze him every week.”
Summers said he is keen to get Napoleon Solo back to the winner’s circle.
“Unfortunately, we were just on the wrong side of a couple finishes, beaten a half-length in both races, but he showed up,” Summers said. “This next race is the most important race to date.
“We feel there’s still a championship on the line for both 3-Year-Old and, possibly, Horse of the Year,” Summers added. “If you were to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a Classic win [Preakness] under you belt already, plus seconds in the Haskell and the Travers, I think there’s a conversation to be had for Horse of the Year.”
Summers said Napoleon Solo will return to the work tab at Belmont on Friday.
“He’ll work six furlongs by himself,” Summers said. “This one is more of a stamina builder than a speed builder, he’ll still work faster than everyone else.”
Napoleon Solo has banked in excess of $2 million through a 3-2-0 record from seven starts.
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This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 12:17 PM.