Napoleon Solo holds off Iron Honor by 1 1/4 lengths to win the Preakness at Laurel Park

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 favourite since the race moved to its current distance of 1 3/16 miles in 1925. Iron Honor had been the morning line favourite 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 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.

___

AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

Noah Trister, The Associated Press