Grade 1 winner Napoleon Solo is returning to the positioning of his greatest profession win so far with the hope of getting his standing on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby again on observe.
Gold Sq.’s son of Liam’s Map was supplemented to the Arkansas Derby (G1) being run March 28 at Oaklawn Park, the place he would have confronted seven different challengers and was set at 6-1 within the morning line.
As a substitute, the grey or roan colt is being aimed for the April 4 Wooden Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, the place he gained final fall’s Champagne Stakes (G1) in the course of the Belmont on the Massive A meet, confirmed the colt’s proprietor Al Gold. Just like the Arkansas Derby, the Wooden Memorial delivers 100 Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying factors to the winner and doles out a corresponding 50-25-15-10 factors to the following 4 finishers.
“We talked it over as a gaggle and he had gained at Aqueduct, so we thought that was the most effective spot for him,” Gold mentioned.
Educated by Chad Summers, Napoleon Solo has been wintering at Palm Meadows Coaching Middle in South Florida. His final begin was within the Feb. 28 Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2), through which an ungainly begin and a large journey left in fifth place on the finish. Join BloodHorse Day by day
The colt has been placing in some sharp works because the Fountain of Youth, going 5 furlongs in 1:00 2/5 March 12 and in :59.65 on the identical distance March 19.
Summers bought Napoleon Solo for $40,000 for Gold on the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of Glennwood Farm’s consignment. Glennwood bred the colt out of stakes winner Atomic Blonde , who’s a daughter of Scat Daddy and likewise positioned in a stakes at Aqueduct.
In accordance with Day by day Racing Kind, different horses being thought of for the Wooden Memorial embody: Bravaro , Buetane , Civil Liberty , Courting , Creole Chrome , Iron Honor , Ocelli , Ottinho , Purple Zone Runner , Proper to Get together , Metal , Taj Mahal , and Discuss to Me Jimmy .
Aside from Napoleon Solo, these contenders embody just one different graded stakes winner, which is Iron Honor. The son of Nyquist owned by St. Elias Steady, William Lawrence, and Glassman Racing gained the Gotham Stakes (G3) by a size with coach Chad Brown. He final labored 4 furlongs in :49.97 over Belmont Park’s coaching observe.
Different black-type stakes winners within the potential discipline embody Discuss to Me Jimmy, who gained the Feb. 6 Withers Stakes going 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct; Purple Zone Runner, who gained the March 3 Metropolis of Brotherly Love Stakes by 15 1/2 lengths at Parx Racing going 1 1/16 miles; and, Taj Mahal, who gained the Miracle Wooden Stakes going a mile Feb. 21 at Laurel Park.
Senior Correspondent Bob Ehalt contributed to this report.
