For all its history and tradition, the Preakness was expected to have a different feel this year. Golden Tempo, the Kentucky Derby winner, and Renegade, the Derby runner-up, were not slated to run the race. This was only the second time in 40 years that the top two Derby finishers had sat out.
Also, the race was being held at Laurel Park, in Laurel, Maryland, as Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course continues to undergo renovations. A field with no head-and-shoulders favorite? On a new track? Anything could happen.
Napoleon Solo, a horse that entered with 7-1 odds, won the Preakness on Saturday, overtaking the favorite Taj Mahal down the stretch and holding off another strong contender Iron Honor .
Iron Honor took second, Chip Honcho finished third, and Taj Mahal faded .
Taj Mahal entered the race as the favorite, with an eye on history. Taj Mahal was trained by Brittany Russell and jockeyed by her husband, Sheldon Russell. No Preakness winner had ever been trained by a woman. Russell had a chance to become the first, just a few weeks after Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, with Golden Tempo.
Taj Mahal led the 14-horse field through the first half-mile in 46.66 seconds and was still in front just before the top of the homestretch, as Napoleon Solo took the lead. Taj Mahal drifted behind, and although Iron Honor tried to challenge for the lead, Solo opened up a lead to win by a length.
Ocelli was chasing history, too. After finishing third at the Derby, Ocelli entered the Preakness as a contender. But the horse had still never won a race. He could have become the first maiden to win the Preakness since 1888. But he finished fourth today.
Napoleon Solo, trained by Chad Summers, was a surprise winner. He had finished fifth in both of his starts this year, including the Wood Memorial.
