Napoleon Solo, Further Ado Headline Stellar Haskell

Napoleon Solo may be a classic winner, but trainer Chad Summers knows his 3-year-old colt will be facing his toughest test to date in the July 18 Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. The son of Liam's Map won the Preakness Stakes (G1) last time out, but he is the second choice in a stellar field of seven ready to open the second half of the year for members of this year's Triple Crown crop. "If anything, Monmouth is tailor-made for a fast horse like him," Summers said. "But you have to run the race and he's facing the deepest field he's ever faced." The field of seven 3-year-olds includes five entrants who have the credentials to capture the $1 million Breeders' Cup Challenge Series "Win and You're In" stakes for the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) without causing a gigantic stir. Aside from Napoleon Solo (post 6, 5-2 morning line), you can place in that grouping Further Ado (2, 2-1 favorite), Iron Honor (5, 3-1), The Puma (4, 7-2), and Ocelli (7, 6-1), all of whom are either grade 1 winners or grade 1-placed. But the focus should be on Napoleon Solo, who possesses the kind of brilliant speed that paints him as the one the others will have to collar in the 1 1/8-mile stakes. Espoir USA bought Napoleon Solo from his original owner Al Gold after the Preakness, and the new connections retained both Summers as the trainer and the post-race targeting of the Haskell. Recent bullet works of :46.79, 1:11.14, and :58.89 indicate the Champagne Stakes (G1) winner bred by John D. Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock remains as fast and fit as ever. "He's doing well. He's coming into this race the way we want. 'Napoleon' is very much 'Napoleon' for better or worse," Summers said. "He needs to run. He's over morning training. His breezes have continued to be brilliant, whether it's alone or in company. He loves to compete and race, and I'm happy we can do that Saturday." The Haskell promises to be a litmus test for Spendthrift Farm's Further Ado. The Gun Runner colt was brilliant when he won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) by 11 dominant lengths. But he was not so brilliant when 11th as the 5-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1). After bouncing back with a pace-pressing, 2-length win in the Matt Winn Stakes (G3), the Haskell should reveal if the Derby or the Blue Grass was the fluke. "I thought the Matt Winn was a really good effort. The numbers he received out of it say he's basically the best two-turn colt in the country and that's what I take from it," said trainer Brad Cox, a two-time winner of the Haskell. "I love what I've seen from him since then. He's held his condition. His weight's great." St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence, and Cathi Glassman's Iron Honor rallied from sixth in the Preakness to finish second, 1 1/4 lengths behind Napoleon Solo. "He's been training well. He's recovered nicely after a hard race in the Preakness," trainer Chad Brown said about the Nyquist colt. "Every week, I see him getting stronger. He's very relaxed. He's finishing his works good. He's in good shape." OGMA Investments, High Step Racing, TCC Stables, YNG Stables, and JR Ranch's The Puma was listed at 10-1 in the morning line for the Kentucky Derby. But a skin infection caused trainer Gustavo Delgado to scratch the son of Essential Quality and skip the Triple Crown while targeting a summer campaign starting with the Haskell. As a result, he has not raced since finishing second by a nose in the March 28 Florida Derby (G1). "The time off he received after all those (Derby) prep races has helped him. Then we set up five or six works for this race. There was no pressure. So far, so good," said assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. "We'd like to think he is ready, but even if he's not, it's still a long season for 3-year-olds. We just want to get him going." Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate, and Front Page Equestrian's Ocelli could be dismissed as a maiden after nine starts, but that would be a huge mistake. His record earnings for a maiden of $829,800 reflect how well he has competed in the year's top races. He was third in the Kentucky Derby and Wood Memorial (G2), fourth in the Preakness, and second most recently in the Ohio Derby (G3). With just a small step forward, he can be a major threat, even in a race this loaded with talent. "I'm thrilled with how he's coming into the race. He couldn't be doing any better since the Ohio Derby," trainer Whit Beckman said about the Connect colt. "As a stalker, the race could develop in a way that will suit him." Beckman says anyone who scoffs at Ocelli because he is a maiden is not giving the colt the proper praise for what he has accomplished. "People like to say Ocelli has been beaten in nine of his last nine races. You can call him whatever you want, but the horse has made almost a million dollars, and you can't say that about any other maiden," Beckman said. "It's a label you can use, but it doesn't fit. He's not a horse who has finished last. He was third in the Kentucky Derby, fourth in the Preakness, and second in the Ohio Derby. He's a legit contender and I really think he's starting to figure things out." The field also includes Cosmo Stables' Baby Vino (3, 15-1), a Vino Rosso colt who won the June 13 Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth for trainer Lindsay Schultz by 10 3/4 lengths, and Bran Jam Stable and David Clark's Star Sweeper (1, 30-1), a son of Rock Your World who was fifth and last for trainer Louis Linder Jr. in the Pegasus.