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Napoleon Solo captures Preakness; top 3 did not run in Kentucky Derby

Horse Racing: 151st PreaknessMay 16, 2026; Laurel, MD, USA; Napoleon Solo (10) ridden by Paco Lopez wins the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Al Gold, the owner of Napoleon Solo, said he was not sure if the horse had what it took to win the Preakness Stakes.

Fortunately for him, the colt’s connections listened to jockey Paco Lopez, and as a result, the two men, along with trainer Chad Summers, found themselves Saturday in the Laurel Park winner’s circle with each celebrating their first triumph in a Triple Crown race.

Napoleon Solo stalked hometown hero Taj Mahal from the start of the 1-3/16-mile race until they hit the second turn at the Laurel, Md., track. That’s when Lopez kept his mount in control and breezed past the betting favorite. As they turned toward the wire, Napoleon Solo had more than enough to stave off a challenge from Iron Honor to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

Leading up to Saturday, that second turn prompted questions about whether the horse named for a character from the 1960s television show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” from could win one of the sport’s top races. Liam’s Map, Napoleon Solo’s sire, won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile 11 years ago, and many felt the progeny would be better suited for shorter-distance races that featured just one turn.

Napoleon Solo also won the Champagne Stakes, which like the Preakness is a Grade 1 race, last October at Aqueduct in Queens. However, back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial Stakes led his connections to move him off the Kentucky Derby trail.

Even leading up to post time, Gold told NBC Sports he was worried about the distance. However, Gold said Lopez urged Summers to go to Maryland.

“I didn’t want to come here,” the owner said. “I didn’t think this horse could go this far, and Paco, it’s you, baby. You did this.”

There were a slew of other questions about the race as well. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo skipped the race, as did Renegade, who finished second. While the Preakness featured a full field of 14 horses for the first time in 15 years, the headline attraction was Taj Mahal, a colt who won his first three races and all at Laurel, a smaller track located between Baltimore and Washington hosting the classic for Pimlico Race Course while workers finish a $400 million overhaul of the Baltimore track.

Going off at 7-1, Napoleon Solo paid $17.80 on a $2 win ticket, $9.80 to place and $7.40 to show. Iron Honor, who was the 9-2 morning-line favorite but went off as the 8-1 fifth choice, paid $9.20 and $6.60. Chip Honcho came in third, 4 1/2 lengths back of the winner and paid $8.20.

None of the top three ran two weeks ago in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, and the winning time of 1:58.69 was more than three seconds off Journalism’s time last year. The Preakness has been run at 1-3/16 miles since 1925, and the last time a slower winning time was recorded was in 1950.

Taj Mahal, trained by Brittany Russell who was seeking to become the first female to prep a Preakness winner, finished 10th. Ocelli, who finished third in Louisville on May 2, came in fourth, followed by Incredibolt.

–Field Level Media

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Rockies square series with Diamondbacks in rare homer-less game

MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado RockiesMay 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Willi Castro (3) slides safely into home during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Mickey Moniak drove in two runs and the host Colorado Rockies held on to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.

Jake McCarthy was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Brenton Doyle 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Willi Castro 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Rockies, who evened the three-game series and won for only the second time in seven games.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. stole home and he and Ketel Marte each went 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Diamondbacks, who had won Friday’s series opener 9-1.

It was only the third game at Coors Field without a home run this season.

Arizona had runners on second and third, the potential tying and go-ahead runs, with two out in the seventh but reliever Jaden Hill retired Geraldo Perdomo on a grounder to first.

The Diamondbacks recorded nine hits and drew five walks, but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Moniak was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth by reliever Brandyn Garcia to stretch the lead to 4-2.

Antonio Senzatela pitched the ninth to earn his third save, despite allowing two baserunners.

Rockies starter Tomoyuki Sugano (4-3) got the win giving up two runs on seven hits in five innings with two walks and a strikeout.

Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez (4-1) allowed three runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings, did not walk a batter and struck out six.

The Rockies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by T.J. Rumfield and Moniak as the first three batters all reached with base hits.

Arizona got on the board to make it 2-1 in the top of the second as Gurriel Jr. stole home as part of a double steal with Jose Fernandez swiping second.

Colorado upped its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second inning on McCarthy’s run-scoring single, which plated Kyle Karros. McCarthy was thrown out at second by left-fielder Gurriel Jr., trying to stretch the liner into left-centerfield gap into a double.

Back-to-back one-out doubles by Marte and Corbin Carroll in the fifth brought Arizona to within 3-2.

–Field Level Media

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Hugo Cuypers tallies again as Fire douse CF Montreal

MLS: Chicago Fire FC at CF MontrealMay 16, 2026; Montreal, Province of Quebec, CAN; Chicago Fire FC midfielder Philip Zinckernagel (11) plays the ball against the CF Montreal during the first half at Saputo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Hugo Cuypers scored for a 10th consecutive match and the Chicago Fire earned a 2-0 victory at CF Montreal on Saturday afternoon.

Cuypers took his MLS-leading total to 13 goals, two in front of Miami’s Lionel Messi and Dallas’ Petar Musa. They both play later this weekend.

Philip Zinckernagel added his fifth goal of the season early and assisted Cuypers’ late tally as the Fire (7-4-2, 23 points) posted their second away win in four days. Chris Brady made six saves to keep his and Chicago’s sixth clean sheet.

Montreal (4-8-1, 13 points) lost for the first time in five home matches under interim manager Philippe Eullaffroy.

The hosts held 56.8% of the possession and owned a 15-13 edge in shots, yet were shut out for the first time since a 3-0 loss on April 4 at New England.

Zinckernagel put Chicago in front in the 14th minute. Maren Haile-Selassie ran onto a long ball down the left, then played in a left-footed cross toward the penalty spot.

Montreal’s Brayan Vera reached it first and tried to clear, but the ball deflected off his teammate Jalen Neal and bounced toward the penalty arc. That’s where the late-arriving Zinckernagel met it with a first-time finish into the bottom left corner.

Brady was excellent to keep Chicago in front when it was 1-0, particularly after halftime. He denied Dawid Bugaj’s promising attempt from the center of the penalty area in the 56th minute, then in the 65th made an excellent double stop that included a reflexive denial of Noah Streit’s low, deflected shot through traffic.

The Fire had their second two minutes later. Haile-Selassie picked up a loose ball at the center circle and played it forward to Zinckernagel as Cuypers took off in front of him on a diagonal run.

Zinckernagel played it farther forward in time for Cuypers to remain onside. Cuypers reached it on the right side of the penalty area and guided a side-footed finish beyond Thomas Gillier (2 saves) and inside the far left post.

Brady still had work to do to preserve the shutout, reacting superbly to deny Daniel Rios’ near-post header four minutes into second-half stoppage time.

–Field Level Media

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Cristopher Sanchez twirls CG shutout, fans 13 as Phils blank Pirates

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Pittsburgh PiratesMay 16, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (right) greets first baseman Bryce Harper (3) crossing home plate on a three run first inning home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Cristopher Sanchez struck out a career-high 13 in his second career shutout to guide the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to a 6-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

Bryce Harper hit a mammoth three-run homer for Philadelphia, which evened its record at 23-23 with its 14th win in 18 games since Don Mattingly took over for Rob Thomson as interim manager late last month. Mattingly missed Saturday’s game to attend his son’s college graduation, so bench coach Dusty Wathan guided the team in his place.

Trea Turner went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Harper reached base three times, adding a pair of walks to his three-run blast.

Marcell Ozuna went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts for Pittsburgh, which managed only six hits and drew no walks against Sanchez (5-2). Pirates starter Bubba Chandler (1-5) allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits and four walks in three innings.

Philadelphia got started early against Chandler, beginning with Trea Turner’s leadoff single. Kyle Schwarber followed with a walk before Harper sent a 3-1 fastball over the center-field wall for his 11th homer of the season.

The visitors added two more runs in the second, thanks to a rally that began with a pair of walks. With two outs and two on, Schwarber’s double to right — combined with a throwing error by right fielder Jared Triolo — plated a pair of runs.

Meanwhile, Sanchez was cruising. He retired the first 11 batters he faced until Bryan Reynolds doubled with two outs in the fourth. However, Sanchez quickly bounced back to strike out Ozuna to end the inning.

In the fifth, Sanchez yielded a one-out single to Nick Gonzales before inducing a double-play grounder to end any potential threat.

The left-hander then set down the Pirates in order in the sixth, striking out O’Neil Cruz for the final out. He gave up a leadoff double to Konnor Griffin in the seventh, but slammed the door thereafter.

That set the stage for Philadelphia to tack on an insurance run in the eighth. Justin Crawford walked with two outs against Justin Lawrence before Turner followed with an RBI double to make it 6-0.

Sanchez struck out two more in the eighth before surpassing his career high in punch-outs with a strikeout of Ozuna in the ninth. His 108th and final pitch of the day resulted in Nick Yorke’s game-ending grounder.

–Field Level Media

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