Summers confirms Napoleon Solo for Travers showdown
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. − Shortly before sunrise Thursday morning, Preakness winner Napoleon Solo put in his third straight terrific workout over Saratoga’s main track. Eleven hours later, he was confirmed as a starter for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes on Aug. 29 at Saratoga where he will take on Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo.
Trainer Chad Summers confirmed the decision around 4:30 p.m. Thursday after speaking with the principles of Espoir USA, the ownership group that purchased Napoleon Solo from Al Gold following his victory in the Preakness Stakes in May. In his first start for his new connections, Napoleon Solo finished second to Baby Vino in the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park on July 18.
“Met with the powers that be, that’s where we ended up,” Summers said. “Hopefully, all Triple Crown winners show up in the race.”
Having won two-thirds of the Triple Crown, Golden Tempo is the clear leader of the 3-year-old division. Napoleon Solo has a victory in the Preakness following fifth-place finishes in the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial earlier in the year.
While a divisional championship may be a longshot for Napoleon Solo, Summers said, “the only way to be champion is to win this race.”
Summers said by running 1 1/4-miles in the Travers, it may help set a course for Napoleon Solo as far as an international campaign in 2027 with races like the Saudi Cup in February and Dubai World Cup or Godolphin Mile, both in March, as races the new owners would like to consider.
“As far as looking at the future, when you’re talking about the rest of the year, do you go [Breeders’ Cup] Dirt Mile or Classic?’” Summers said. “Given the international campaign they have planned next year, they want to see which route to take, is it Dubai World Cup or is it Saudi Cup to the Dubai World Cup or Godolphin Mile. [The Travers] will answer a lot of internal questions for ourselves while externally answering them for everybody else.”
On Thursday, just before sunrise, Napoleon Solo worked a half-mile in 47.64 seconds over Saratoga’s main track, getting his final quarter in 23.36. He then proceeded to gallop out five furlongs in 59.93, six furlongs in 1:12.18, seven furlongs in 1:25.18, and cover a mile in 1:40.31. Jockey Emily Ellingwood, Napoleon Solo’s regular work rider, was aboard for the solo move.
That was Napoleon Solo’s third workout at Saratoga since shipping here after the Haskell.
“This one looked kind of similar to the last work before the Preakness I thought,” Summers said. “He’s put on weight since he’s come over here, he’s really doing well. He’s touting himself. I don’t think you can have three better breezes than he’s had since the Haskell. . . . He worked nine days out because you know he’s going to do too much, but he was pretty quick.”
Napoleon Solo joins a Travers field that, in addition to Golden Tempo, is expected to include Kentucky Derby runner-up and Grade 2 Jim Dandy winner Renegade, Haskell winner Baby Vino, Tampa Bay Derby winner The Puma, Indiana Derby winner Leading Change, Southwest Stakes winner Silent Tactic, Curlin Stakes winner Sea Strike, Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market, and possibly Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Ocelli.
“To me, it’s the deepest Travers we’ve seen in a long time from top to bottom if everybody shows up,” Summers said.
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