By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer
LAUREL, Md. (AP) — 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.
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.
Taj Mahal broke to the lead early and covered the first quarter-mile in 22.66 seconds, but trainer Brittany Russell’s unbeaten colt 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 (11-1) 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.
It was the first victory in a Triple Crown race for trainer Chad Summers and jockey Paco Lopez. Napoleon Solo paid $17.80 on a $2 bet.
The colt won his first two starts last year by impressive margins, prevailing in the Champagne Stakes by 6 1/2 lengths in October. He couldn’t maintain that form, however, finishing fifth in both the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial this year.
Also in the Wood Memorial, two spots farther back, was Iron Honor. Their rematch was for much higher stakes, and Napoleon Solo again finished ahead.
“All year long, fifth place, fifth place. Everyone said he wasn’t as good as he was in the Champagne,” Summers said. “This was a win here. People will say it wasn’t against the best of the best. We’ll find out the rest of the year.”
The three horses who did race in both the Derby and Preakness this year — Ocelli (7-1), Incredibolt (5-1) and Robusta (25-1) — finished fourth, fifth and ninth Saturday.
The race included its maximum of 14 horses, marking its largest field since 14 also ran in the 2011 edition.
Taj Mahal had run all three of his races at Laurel, which likely played a role as bettors made him the slight favorite over Incredibolt. Russell was trying to become the first female trainer to win the Preakness — two weeks after Cherie DeVaux achieved that milestone at the Derby — but Taj Mahal fell back to 10th after leading much of the way.