How the Race Was Won
Iron Honor went off the 7-2 favorite and broke cleanly from the rail, taking up his expected forward position through the clubhouse turn. Napoleon Solo, sent off at 10-1 under Paco Lopez, settled in fifth along the backstretch and angled out three-wide at the quarter pole.
Iron Honor still held the lead turning for home, but Napoleon Solo took aim mid-stretch and ran past the favorite inside the eighth-pole, drawing off by a length and three-quarters. Chip Honcho finished third, completing the trifecta for veteran trainer Steve Asmussen. Derby third-place finisher Ocelli faded to sixth in his return to two weeks' rest.
Final time: 1:58.69 over a fast Laurel Park surface; measurably quicker than the recent Pimlico-era pace, supporting the pre-race expectation that Laurel's tighter, sandier configuration would yield faster Preakness times.
Chad Summers' First Triple Crown Win
For trainer Chad Summers and jockey Paco Lopez, this was a first-time Triple Crown victory. Summers; best known previously for sprinter Mind Control's Grade 1 successes; was making his Preakness debut as a saddling trainer. "We've been pointing him here for two months. Paco rode him perfectly," Summers said in the winner's circle.
Lopez, a Maryland-based jockey who has long campaigned at Laurel and Monmouth Park, won the Preakness on his fifth attempt. Napoleon Solo paid $17.80 to win, $8.40 to place, and $5.60 to show on a $2 base wager.
Belmont Stakes; Golden Tempo Completes a Two-for-Two Season
With Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skipping the Preakness, no horse could win the 2026 Triple Crown; the first guaranteed absence of a sweep since 2018 (Justify completed the last one).
The 158th Belmont Stakes ran Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Saratoga while Belmont Park is itself undergoing renovation. Napoleon Solo skipped the race to point toward the Haskell, so the Preakness winner did not run. Golden Tempo returned fresh off the Derby and rallied from last to first under Jose Ortiz to win the Belmont by 1 1/2 lengths at 6-1 in 2:03.49. Commandment was second and Derby runner-up Renegade third. Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win two Triple Crown legs in the same year. See our full Belmont Stakes results.
How to Bet Horse Racing from Kentucky
Every licensed Kentucky online sportsbook offers fixed-odds racing futures and on-the-day pari-mutuel markets year-round. The major platforms:
- FanDuel / TVG; integrated pari-mutuel pool, deepest horse-racing experience
- TwinSpires; Churchill Downs Incorporated's wagering platform
- 1/ST BET; operated by Belmont host 1/ST Racing
- DraftKings, BetMGM, bet365, Caesars; fixed-odds futures markets