Napoleon Solo wins the Preakness Stakes in a come-from-behind victory

(CNN) — Napoleon Solo won the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, surging into the lead in the final straightaway to win the middle race of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

The favorite in the race, Taj Mahal, led the race for the vast majority of the contest until the race entered the final two turns. Napoleon Solo had been pushing Taj Mahal the whole race and eventually overtook the favorite going into the final turn.

From there, Napoleon Solo and Iron Honor broke away from the pack and Iron Honor simply couldn’t make up the difference in the final furlongs. Chip Honcho took third.

The race took place at Laurel Park, located about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, DC, instead of the race’s traditional home of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo did not run in the second leg of the Triple Crown.

It was the first time trainer Chad Summers had entered a horse in the Preakness Stakes, and he was ecstatic after the race – and took a moment to slam folks who counted out his 7-1 horse.

“It takes a team to get this done. We’ve had everything go wrong in his (Napoleon Solo’s) three-year-old year, and we just kind of stayed the course and stayed the course. We had a lot of critics out there that just told us to just shut up. We just kept with it and it worked out today,” he told the broadcast.

Al Gold, the owner Napoleon Solo, had high praise for Summers following the win.

“He’s the best. He wanted this. This is his dream. He loves the game. And I’m happy for him. It was awesome,” Gold said.

The final leg of the Triple Crown – the Belmont Stakes – is scheduled for June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Golden Tempo is expected to start in that race.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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