12m ago / 4:01 PM EDTWhy Napoleon Solo could shock on SaturdayNapoleon Solo is 8-1 on the morning line. That could be a steal if you believe he can recover the form he showed in a big race last fall, an open-lengths romp in the Champagne Stakes in New York. In that gate-to-wire win, Napoleon Solo notched a Beyer speed rating of 95, tops in this field. But in two races since then, he’s been an afterthought. Excuses are available if you’re looking for them, though.In the first of those races, by his trainer’s own admission, he wasn’t fully revved up coming off of a long rest. And in the second, he contested a trying pace that produced a meltdown. The bullish case is that with several races under his belt, he’s finally in good form and a more tactical ride could make the difference. Then again, he figures to be in the mix early, and there’s a lot of speed around him, at least on paper, making another meltdown a real possibility.32m ago / 3:40 PM EDTBig Cuddle outduels Final Story to win Sir BartonGary Capuano’s trainee Big Cuddle outlasts favorite Final Story down the final stretch with 18-year-old Yedsit Hazlewood on board to win the Sir Barton Stakes at Laurel Park.53m ago / 3:20 PM EDTTrainer Chad Brown has Preakness-winning formula Trainer Chad Brown has developed a proven strategy for winning the Preakness. Multiple times, he has had his horse skip the Kentucky Derby, rest up and focus on this race. And it has paid off.Brown followed that blueprint in 2017 with Cloud Computing and in 2022 with Early Voting, both of whom won the Preakness. And he did it again in 2023 with Blazing Sevens, who barely finished second that year.Now Brown is following the same formula with Iron Honor, a horse that enters this year's Preakness as one of the favorites. Iron Honor won his first two career races but finished seventh at the Wood Memorial Stakes in early April in a weak field. He collided with another horse during the first turn. In other words: Iron Honor has showed promise but is no sure thing.We'll see if Brown's strategy pays off again. There's a reason he's a five-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer of the Year.2h ago / 2:51 PM EDTThe Preakness trophy is a replica, for good reasonBack in 1860, Tiffany & Co. created a silver trophy for the Woodlawn Racing Association that came to be called the Woodlawn vase. It stood about 3 feet tall, weighed about 30 pounds and was transferred each year to the winner of the Preakness, for nearly a century.But in 1953, the Vanderbilt family put an end to that tradition. That year, A.G. Vanderbilt won the Preakness with Native Dancer, and "his wife did not want to take on the immense responsibility of the vase’s safekeeping," according to the Preakness website. In the 1980s, the vase was said to be worth $1 million.Now, the Preakness winner is given a replica of the trophy, worth a measly $30,000, while the original sits on display in a Baltimore museum.2h ago / 2:18 PM EDTTaj Mahal's trainer and jockey? They're married.Yes, Taj Mahal is trained by Brittany Russell and will be ridden by Sheldon Russell, a wife and husband duo. If Taj Mahal wins, he'd become the first horse to win a Triple Crown race with a married couple in those roles.Brittany Russell on May 15 in Laurel, Md. Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP“The dream, the goal was always to get one that would take us to one of the big races, and he’s sort of taken us there,” Sheldon Russell told The Associated Press.3h ago / 1:59 PM EDTTrainer Brittany Russell could follow DeVaux's lead, make history with Taj MahalThe major headline out of the Kentucky Derby? Cherie DeVaux made history as the first female trainer to win the Derby. A few years ago, in 2023, Jena Antonucci made history when she won the Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo. But no female trainer has ever won the Preakness.That could change today with Brittany Russell and her horse Taj Mahal. The stars seem to be aligning in her favor. This year's Preakness is being run at Laurel Park, her home track, and Taj Mahal's jockey will be her husband, Sheldon.“It would sort of feel probably a little fairytale-like,” Brittany Russell told The Associated Press. “Jena opened the door just a couple years ago with Arcangelo, and Cherie got it done in the Kentucky Derby. The fact that I feel like I have a live one in the Preakness here, look, there’s some pressure and I certainly hope we can do it, but it would mean an awful lot.”3h ago / 1:59 PM EDTOcelli goes from Derby long shot to Preakness contenderA few days before the Kentucky Derby, Ocelli became a late add to the field after another horse was scratched. Entering the race, Ocelli had 70-1 odds.But Ocelli surprised everyone and was leading in the final furlough, before being overtaken by Golden Tempo and Renegade. Ocelli ended up taking third. He only lost the race by one length.Now, a few weeks later, Ocelli will run the Preakness, while the top two Derby finishers sit out. Ocelli's odds sit at 6-1, making him a contender but not the favorite. Pundits have pointed to his homestretch speed as a strength on this track. But we should note: Ocelli has never won a race. If he finishes first today, he'd be the first maiden winner of the Preakness since 1888.3h ago / 1:59 PM EDTPreakness Stakes betting field is 'wide open'Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick break down the current odds for who will win the 151st Preakness Stakes, with Iron Honor (9-2), Chip Honcho (5-1), Incredibolt (5-1) and Taj Mahal (5-1) the current favorites.