Summers Chases Breeders' Cup Win With Napoleon Solo

Chad Summers is well accustomed to entering the Breeders' Cup under the radar. Self-admittedly, several of those times he brought in longshots that could leave some observers scratching their heads, but he is a firm believer that if horses earns their chance, they should get it. That was one reason why many were surprised in October 2025 when Summers announced that his unbeaten Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Napoleon Solo, perhaps his best shot to win a Breeders' Cup race yet, would not ship to Del Mar to compete in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1). It was a decision the trainer believed needed to be made, not pushing the son of Liam's Map too early with bigger targets down the line. That choice paid off in the spring when Napoleon Solo won the Preakness Stakes (G1), and that success has now led the colt right back to the Breeders' Cup. This time, although the Breeders' Cup race is still undecided, a start in the World Championships is exactly what Summers had planned all year. "It's not easy to get here. We've been very blessed for a small barn being here," Summers said. "We don't take things for granted. I've been part of this industry for 23 years now, and I know how tough it is to be here." Summers has been part of the Breeders' Cup in a variety of roles over the years. He's worked directly for Breeders' Cup itself and has also covered the event from the media side for World Horse Racing and Horse Racing Radio Network. He was involved in the ownership and training of Mind Your Biscuits, who was second and third, respectively, in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). In his role as racing manager for Al Gold's Gold Square, which raced Napoleon Solo through his Preakness win before selling privately to Espoir USA, Summers was second in the 2022 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) with Cyberknife and has the Riley Mott-trained How's Al Today pre-entered in this year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). Summers felt the public spotlight of the Triple Crown this year as his phone filled with congratulatory messages after the Preakness, even from people who do not follow the sport. Yet, with the international competition offered as the cap to the year, the Breeders' Cup remains one of Summers' most sought-after prizes. "For me, as a lifelong fan of horse racing, as someone who grew up watching Breeders' Cups and (Kentucky) Derbies, the Breeders' Cup hits differently because it's the end of the year. It's the best of the best," Summers said. "The Derby, you have to have the best horse on that day. … For me, within the industry, the Breeders' Cup is just a little bit different, you get horses from all over the world coming here to compete." Napoleon Solo is one of those horses, and he's pre-entered in two spots: the $7 million Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Despite saddling the colt with the Dirt Mile's saddle towel during training Oct. 22, Summers said no decision has been made yet as to which race he'll run. He spoke with the Espoir USA team earlier Thursday morning and they will come to a decision over the weekend. Among the factors in the decision are how the fields shake out. Sixteen horses were pre-entered in the Dirt Mile for its 12 spots, but eight of those registered the Dirt Mile as their second preference to another race. Napoleon Solo is included in that group as one of three horses—along with Further Ado and Knightsbridge—with first preference in the Classic. Forged Steel and T O Password (JPN) have the Dirt Mile as their first preference over the Classic. Another factor to consider is the colt's future stud value. "There's other things on the line from a stallion perspective, from everything else," Summers said. "It can't not be taken into consideration—as much as we can look at the simple plyometrics of how the races are run. But we're very much sportsmen, the ownership is as well, and we'll see where the final decision lies. He's going to be ready to run whichever race he ends up being in." Napoleon Solo has looked the part in his first two mornings at Keeneland. "He's good. He's brought his track with him wherever he's gone," Summers said of how the Preakness winner has settled in. "He's been successful at many different racetracks. We just like getting him into a routine and getting here early. We've followed that same program that we did in Maryland and we did as well in New Jersey. Just follow that same kind of program." Napoleon Solo had a rough start to the season, finishing fifth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) off a layoff—for which Summers expected him to be short—and the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) when he missed training time and an intended start in the Arkansas Derby (G1) with a foot bruise. Since then, the colt has been among the best of his division: winning the Preakness and just barely getting beat when second in both the Haskell (G1) and Travers (G1) stakes. That adds another factor into the Breeders' Cup decision. A win in the Classic would give him a 2-0 record against Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Golden Tempo, who was third in the Travers, likely elevating Napoleon Solo to Eclipse honors as champion 3-year-old male. Further, his already-existing grade 1 performances paired with a win in the Classic over the likes of Forever Young (JPN), Magnitude, and Sovereignty would place him firmly in the Horse of the Year conversation. Either way, Summers knows he needs to have Napoleon Solo ready to run the race of his life, and he feels he's made the proper adjustments in the two months since getting caught in the final yards of the Travers by Leading Change. "We have an expectation that he needs to run the race of his life to hit the board or win in either race that he runs in, and we hope we have him prepared to do that," Summers said. "Thankfully, we haven't had any interruptions or incidents since he got that foot bruise prior to the Arkansas Derby. I think you've seen those results. "We feel like we've had a couple months on the drawing board to go and scheme some things up, and we feel like we made the adjustments that we need to make, and we'll find out October 31st." Knightsbridge, Sovereignty On THE Track Among the headlines of Thursday morning action at Keeneland was another horse pre-entered with first preference in the Classic, but wearing his Dirt Mile saddle towel: Godolphin's Knightsbridge. The Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) winner was one of three Breeders' Cup entrants from the Hall of Fame barn of Bill Mott to arrive at Keeneland Oct. 21, and all three took to the surface well, according to Mott. The son of Nyquist's decision likely hinges on the fate of his stablemate Sovereignty, the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner who was named Horse of the Year. Sovereignty was sidelined from training in September with a foot abscess that caused him to miss a start in the Sept. 18 Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1). He has since recorded four weekly breezes with a fifth expected this weekend. Sovereignty walked onto the Keeneland track for the first time Thursday morning with his head held high and looked strong in his gallop. Mott said, although there is always concern that the foot could become an issue again with nine days to go, right now Sovereignty is looking to be in good condition. "Sovereignty went well," Mott said of this morning's training. "He moved well over the track, looked happy." With Godolphin being the owner of both Knightsbridge and Sovereignty, the two are likely to start in different races, but the door is still open for both to run in the Classic. Mott said the decision will come Oct. 26, the day of entries. The third Breeders' Cup entrant for Mott is LRE Racing's T Kraft, who is pre-entered with first preference in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and second in the Dirt Mile. Mott is pleased with how the Vosburgh Stakes (G3) winner is doing. "(T Kraft is) a horse that's really coming around recently," Mott said. "Physically, he looks great. I'm really happy." Workouts and Changes Two horses on the also-eligible list of the pre-entries recorded breezes Thursday morning on the Keeneland dirt surface. D. J. Stable's Canada, currently seventh reserve for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), worked 4 furlongs in a bullet :48 2/5 for trainer Mark Casse. It was the fastest of 19 works at the distance. Norman Stables' Coal Battle, second reserve for the Dirt Mile, worked 5 furlongs in a bullet 1:00 for trainer Lonnie Briley. It was the fastest of four works at the distance. Trainer Gustavo Rodriguez told Daily Racing Form’s David Grening Thursday that Phileas Fogg will not run in the Classic because of an issue with his left front foot. He will be given two months off before returning for a 2027 campaign.