Paco Lopez, atop Napoleon Solo, wins the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Paco Lopez, right, atop Napoleon Solo, edges out Iron Honor, ridden by Flavien Prat, to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) CORRECTION: Corrects horse and jockey at left to Iron Honor, ridden by Flavien Prat, not The Hell We Did, ridden by Luis Saez.
Jeiron Barbosa, left, atop Wickeddivine, edges out Irad Ortiz Jr., right, atop Freeze the Fire, to win an undercard race ahead of the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
LAUREL, Md. — Napoleon Solo held off Iron Honor down the stretch to win the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, rebounding from a pair of fifth-place showings for his first victory of the year.
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Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo was held out of the race, leaving a wide-open field of 14 horses to contest the middle jewel of the Triple Crown, which was held at Laurel Park this year because Pimlico in Baltimore is being rebuilt.
Taj Mahal was the top choice at 9-2 — the longest odds for a Preakness favorite since the race moved to its current distance of 1 3/16 miles in 1925. Iron Honor had been the morning line favorite at 9-2, but he was an 8-1 shot by the time the horses entered the starting gate.
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Taj Mahal broke to the lead early and covered the first quarter-mile in 22.66 seconds, but trainer Brittany Russell’s unbeaten horse couldn’t hold on and was passed by Napoleon Solo (7-1) near the top of the stretch. Iron Honor was a threat late but came up 1 1/4 lengths short.
Chip Honcho was third.
Previously a rowdy event with throngs of fans and live music on the infield, the Preakness was contested in a subdued atmosphere this year at Laurel, with attendance capped at 4,800.
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