The 2026 Preakness Stakes brought an unexpected champion on May 16, as Napoleon Solo stormed to victory at Laurel Park in Maryland. The gray colt, sent off at 7-1 odds, held off Iron Honor down the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths, paying $17.80 on a $2 win ticket. While the racing world celebrated jockey Paco Lopez and trainer Chad Summers scoring their first Triple Crown wins, a different conversation popped up among fans. Where did that name come from?
Napoleon Solo Name Origin Connects to Classic 1960s Spy Show
Owner Al Gold picked the name from the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The show featured Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo, a smooth and clever secret agent working for a fictional intelligence agency. Henry Cavill later played the same character in the 2015 Guy Ritchie movie adaptation.
Gold admitted he picked the name simply because he enjoys classic TV shows. He watches old television programs and sports during his free time. The owner often names his horses after friends or fictional characters he likes. Speaking to USA Today Network, Gold called the choice more fun than prophetic. He did not expect the Hollywood spy name to become attached to a Triple Crown winner.
“I didn’t want to come here. I didn’t think this horse could go this far, and Paco, it’s you, baby. You did this.”
— Al Gold, horse owner, speaking to NBC Sports before the race
Horse Nearly Had a Very Different Name
Before becoming Napoleon Solo, the colt almost raced under the unusual stable name No Mail Today. Trainer Chad Summers explained that the early name played on the idea of wanting a Saturday horse rather than a Sunday competitor, since mail does not get delivered on Sundays.
The team bought the horse for just $40,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. As the young horse showed impressive speed in workouts, the group decided a more powerful name fit better. The Napoleon Solo name now belongs to a Grade 1 winner who took down a full field of 14 horses at the Preakness.
From Fifth-Place Finishes to Preakness Champion
Napoleon Solo won the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes last October at Aqueduct by more than 6 lengths, earning a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. Many expected big things from the horse heading into his 3-year-old season. But things went wrong.
The colt finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at the start of the year. He then faded again in the Wood Memorial and finished fifth. Those poor results kept him out of the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Summers faced criticism from doubters who said the horse did not have what it took.
“We’ve had everything go wrong in his 3-year-old year, and we just kind of stayed the course and stayed the course. We had a lot of critics out there that just told us to just shut up. We just kept with it and it worked out today.”
— Chad Summers, trainer, speaking to NBC after the Preakness win
The team regrouped. Napoleon Solo had four workouts between the Wood Memorial and the Preakness. Trackside observers noticed how well the horse moved in morning training sessions. Jockey Paco Lopez pushed Summers and Gold to bring the horse to Maryland despite the owner’s doubts about the 1-3/16 mile distance.
Race Strategy Paid Off for Underdog Winner
Taj Mahal, the hometown favorite trained by Brittany Russell who hoped to become the first female trainer to win the Preakness, set the early pace from the tricky first position. Napoleon Solo tracked behind through fast opening fractions of 22.66 and 44.66 seconds.
Around the far turn, Lopez moved his mount past Taj Mahal. Iron Honor made a late charge under jockey Flavien Prat, but Napoleon Solo had enough left to hold on. Chip Honcho finished third, 4 1/2 lengths behind the winner. The winning time of 1:58.69 marked the slowest Preakness winning time since 1950.
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What the Napoleon Solo Name Means for Racing Fans
The name choice surprised many racing fans who recognized the old television reference. Al Gold said he felt pleasantly surprised by how many people remembered The Man from U.N.C.L.E. when they heard the horse’s name. The victory also gave Gold his first win in a Triple Crown race.
The top three finishers at the Preakness—Napoleon Solo, Iron Honor, and Chip Honcho—none ran in the Kentucky Derby two weeks earlier. Golden Tempo and Renegade, the first and second place finishers at Churchill Downs, skipped the Preakness, leaving the race wide open.
Napoleon Solo now faces a decision about the Belmont Stakes in three weeks at Saratoga Race Course. The horse’s sire, Liam’s Map, won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile 11 years ago. Many believed the offspring would perform better in shorter races with just one turn. The Preakness victory proved those doubts wrong.
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