Napoleon Solo and Chad Summers, a Story of Perseverance Seeking Another Chapter in the Haskell

The trainer will make his debut in Monmouth Park's signature race with the Preakness Stakes hero, a horse he discovered himself as a yearling, symbolizing the long road traveled to reach the elite level. On the other side stands Brad Cox with the favorite, Further Ado

OCEANPORT, New Jersey (Special to Turf Diario).- For Chad Summers, this Saturday's Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park will be much more than a race for a million dollars. It will be the culmination of a journey spanning over two decades in racing and an opportunity to come full circle—a path that began years ago when he was still selecting yearlings for other trainers, dreaming of one day reaching this kind of stage.

Today, that dream has a name: Napoleon Solo. Winner of the Champagne Stakes (G1) at age 2 and the recent hero of the Preakness Stakes (G1), the son of Liam's Map will give Summers his first shot at the local centerpiece, facing none other than the heavy favorite Further Ado (Gun Runner), trained by Brad Cox—precisely the conditioner Summers once watched win this very race with Cyberknife (Gun Runner).

The story features an almost cinematic twist. Summers was the one who selected both Cyberknife and Napoleon Soloat the Keeneland sales for Al Gold, owner of Gold Square. However, while the former ended up in Cox's hands and won the 2022 Haskell setting a track record for the 1800 meters, Napoleon Solo will now be the horse with which he attempts to write his own historic chapter.

"When Cyberknife won the Haskell, I felt pride for having helped find him, but I also thought, silently, that one day I wanted to be the one tightening the girth before a race like this," Summers recalled. "Now I have that opportunity. It's a very special moment."

Napoleon Solo was purchased for just $40,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September sales, another successful strike by a trainer who has built much of his career identifying talent at accessible prices.

"It fills us with pride to find horses of that level for relatively low values. We look at absolutely every single horse that goes up for sale. We leave no stone unturned and work from sunrise to sunset," he explained.

This is not the first time Summers has achieved such a scouting feat. He previously did so with stars like Mind Your Biscuits (Posse), bought for just $30,000 and later turned into a two-time winner of the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) and an international millionaire—a horse the trainer has always considered a fundamental pillar in his professional growth.

After conquering the Preakness, Napoleon Solo was sold to ESPOIR USA for an undisclosed sum, though Summersretained the training duties of the colt, who will now seek his third G1 victory.

The trainer will also hold another major hand during the card, as Dry Powder (Gun Runner) tackles the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G2), aiming to add another graded success for the stable following her recent victory in the Lady's Secret Stakes (L).

The story of Napoleon Solo also features another protagonist with unfinished business: Paco López. The dominant rider at Monmouth Park and owner of 12 riding titles at the track, the jockey has competed in the Haskell 11 times without being able to win it. His best finishes were a second-place effort with Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) and a third with Spun to Run (Hard Spun).

"It would be very special to win this race. It's my home track, the biggest race of the year here, and practically the only thing left for me to achieve at Monmouth," the rider acknowledged.

Summers, meanwhile, prefers to let destiny play its part.

"Sometimes fortune just ends up lining things up on its own," summarized a trainer who, after so many years waiting for his opportunity, stands on the threshold of the biggest day of his career.