America
Preakness Stakes won by Napoleon Solo
By Christina Bossinakis, TDN
Napoleon Bonaparte was reputed as saying “Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.” Never was a phrase more appropriate than in the lead up to Saturday's G1 Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park.
Given the absence of both the Kentucky Derby winner and runner-up, it seemed like everyone and his brother emerged on the scene to take a shot at the second leg in the Triple Crown.
While several contenders may have seemed like they may have been stretching to get the distance or simply handle the level of competition, Gold Square's Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map) appeared to have a very important advantage under his belt, a Grade 1 victory. Additionally, the sole Grade I winner in the field had another key ingredient that proved invaluable in even getting him into Saturday's starting gate–connections willing to take a shot at a top-level race while having questions of their own. He won the one-mile GI Champagne Stakes at the Big A last fall.
“[Jockey] Paco [Lopez] followed the plan to f***n brilliance,” said trainer Chad Summer, who was overcome with adrenaline and palpable emotion just moments after the race. “[Napoleon Solo] had everything go wrong his 3-year-old year and we just kind of stayed the course. He had a lot of critics out there telling us to just shut up. But we just kept with it and it worked out today.”
According to Summers, 'the rest of the year' will start with a shot at the G1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 18. “Mr. Gold is from New Jersey and it's an important race for him,” said Summers. “We're going to the Haskell, but how we get to the Haskell, we'll find out.”
Pedigree Notes: With his Preakness score, Napoleon Solo collects yet another Grade 1 not just to his tally, but to that of Liam's Map as well. The sire of elite-level winners on both turf and dirt, names on his honour roll include the who's who like two-time G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational hero Colonel Liam; multiple Grade 1 winner Deterministic; dual-surface Graded winner Burnham Square (including the G1 Toyota Blue Grass); G1 Frizette victress Wicked Whisper; and G1 Darley Alcibiades winner Juju's Map, to name a few.
In total, the stallion has 15 Graded and 33 black-type winners.
On his dam's side, Napoleon Solo claims an equally fascinating pedigree as he hails from the female line of French winner Chanteleau (AP Indy). Through herself or her daughters and granddaughters, the third dam claims three French Group winners and a Hungarian Horse of the Year. His dam, Atomic Blonde (Scat Daddy), was the first stakes winner in the female family to earn her black type in North America as the South Beach Stakes victress - also on the grass.
From two of racing age, Atomic Blonde counts placed Lawless Ways (Without Parole {GB}) and Napoleon Solo, who has undoubtedly cast a long shadow for future siblings. Her most recent is a yearling colt by Authentic, and she was bred to Stage Raider for 2026.
Europe
Notable Speech returns to form in Lockinge
By Sean Cronin, TDN Europe
Godolphin's 2024 G1 2000 Guineas hero and multiple elite-level winner Notable Speech (Dubawi) was sent postward as the heavily-supported 2-1 favourite for Saturday's G1 Boyle Sports Lockinge Stakes at Newbury and he unleashed an explosive display to outclass nine rivals in the one-mile feature.
“It was a great training performance by Charlie [Appleby] and to bring him back in this form is a credit to everyone at home,” beamed William Buick. “It was all falling apart in front of me, but he was explosive and is an absolutely top-class miler.”
“He has an explosive turn of foot and he comes on the scene late,” the rider added. “I thought he was exceptional today and it felt amazing. We went to Keeneland last time thinking we would win [the G1 Maker's Mark Mile] and never got a fair crack at it at all and it was frustrating. We knew he was coming here in good shape and it's always nice to correct those frustrating losses.”
Charlie Appleby, who halted a career-long losing sequence with a double at Newmarket on Friday, continued, “He's got some turn of foot and not many horses can quicken like he can. If it turned into a burn up in the last couple of furlongs then William is on the right horse. William knows him and has the confidence on him and I have the confidence in both of them. I always say to William you will either be a hero or a villain and sit and sit and when you want to go, sit again, and then at the last moment let him off. Colm O'Donoghue rides him and told me he's in the form of his life and he was right. The team has done a fantastic job and I'm delighted for the horse as that's a stallion-making win for him.”
Looking to the immediate future, the Moulton Paddocks steward added, “He will go on from here to the [G1] Queen Anne [at Royal Ascot]. We were unlucky in the Queen Anne last year and, to be fair, we've learned about this horse. I think, knowing what we know now, we would have gone very close in it last year. We'll take Opera Ballo as well and it will be a big race for us, but I go there with Notable Speech more relaxed now that he has done that. All I wanted him to do was win another Group 1 in Europe and he's done that now.”
He's won eight of his fifteen starts and five Group 1 races in England, Canada, and America.
Pedigree Notes: Notable Speech, full to a 2-year-old filly and kin to the twice-raced 3-year-old maiden filly Moonlit Rose (Pinatubo), is the first of three foals produced by G3 UAE Oaks runner-up Swift Rose (Invincible Spirit).
His dam, who is a daughter of the dual Group 3-placed Listed Prix Ceres winner Tulips (Pivotal), is a half-sister to G1 Natalma Stakes victrix Wild Beauty (Frankel) and G3 Burj Nahaar victor Desert Wisdom (Dubawi).
The winner's fourth dam is G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest and G1 Haydock Sprint Cup heroine Cherokee Rose (Dancing Brave), whose descendants include G1 St Leger, G1 Hong Kong Vase and G2 Derby Italiano hero Mastery (Sulamani), G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains third Bowman (Irish River) and G1 Dewhusrt Stakes runner-up and dual Group-winning sire Cable Bay (Invincible Spirit).
Dual Group 1 winner Kalpana returns
By Sean Cronin, TDN Europe
Juddmonte's dual G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares heroine Kalpana (Study Of Man) made a successful return to action by defeating five rivals, racing under a Group 1 penalty, in a hot renewal of Saturday's G3 Sky Sports Racing Aston Park Stakes at Newbury, repeating her win in last year's edition.
In the money in all bar one of 14 prior starts, the 11-10 pick was forced to knuckle down in the 12-furlong contest and registered a neck verdict from the multiple Group 1-placed West Wind Blows (Teofilo).
“Her fitness was telling a bit inside the final half-furlong, but she showed she still has the appetite and desire for it,” said trainer Andrew Balding. “When you sportingly keep horses in training as a 5-year-old you just hope they still want to do it and she certainly seems to.
"Twelve months ago we started off by taking on colts in Ireland in a Group 1 [Tattersalls Gold Cup], which was a tough ask, and this was much calmer waters. I think she was just getting tired towards the end and was entitled to win the race on ratings. She was carrying a little extra condition and she hasn't run for a good while, so we're thrilled.”
Outlining likely targets this term, Balding added, “We tried the Arc last year and it didn't work out. I think the [G1] Fillies & Mares would be the big plan. and I don't think any horse has won three races consecutively on British Champions Day. Next stop will probably be something at Royal Ascot and the [G1] King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes [at Ascot in July] would be a nice midsummer target having finished second in it last year. The [G1] Prince of Wales's Stakes and [G2] Hardwicke will be available to her at Royal Ascot and I think, if the ground was very soft, it might make the Prince of Wales's more attractive.”
Pedigree Notes: Kalpana, the eighth of 11 foals, is the leading performer from six scorers out of Listed Prix Petite Etoile victrix Zero Gravity (Dansili), herself a full-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Paris-winning sire Zambezi Sun and the dual stakes-placed Shared Account. Zero Gravity is also a half-sister to G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano victor Kalabar (Kahyasi) and the multiple Group-placed G2 Prix Eugene Adam runner-up World Heritage (Kahyasi).
Shared Account is the dam of four stakes performers headed by dual Group 3 winner Better Together (Oasis Dream) and G3 Prix des Reservoirs and G3 Athenia Stakes victrix Pocket Square (Night Of Thunder).
The winner, who hails from the family of G1 July Cup and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye hero Continent (Lake Coniston), is kin to the 3-year-old filly Seet (Too Darn Hot), who shed maiden status at Wolverhampton last week, and a yearling filly by Chaldean.
