LAUREL, Md. (AP) — Ocelli, Incredibolt and Robusta were the only three horses to race in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes this year.
They did little to suggest more should have tried the two-week turnaround that has become such a flashpoint in Triple Crown conversations.
Ocelli was fourth, Incredibolt fifth and Robusta ninth in Saturday's Preakness at Laurel Park. None of them was much of a threat on a day when winner Napoleon Solo was near the lead the whole way.
“Speed held. Pretty simple,” said Whit Beckman, Ocelli's trainer. “It didn’t come back. He ran a good fourth with a pace that seemed to hold on. Can’t be upset with that.”
Ocelli (7-1) and Incredibolt (5-1) were considered contenders after finishing third and sixth in the Derby, but both were trying to come from behind in this race and weren't all that close to pulling it off. Expectations were lower for Robusta (28-1) after a 14th-place showing in the Derby.
“They went fast. We had one horse beat. It looked like down the backside he was traveling comfortably enough, but I guess it was obviously too much to do,” said Riley Mott, Incredibolt's trainer. “He gave us a mild run, but he never threatened to hit the board.”
Derby winner Golden Tempo was held out of this race, which led to the latest round of chatter about whether the Triple Crown schedule should be changed to allow a longer break between the Derby and Preakness. If Ocelli, Incredibolt or Robusta had won Saturday, that may have impacted that discussion, but it didn't happen.
Al Gold, Napoleon Solo's owner, was blunt when asked about the possibility of altering the schedule.
“It’s a great idea,” he said. “Tradition is dead. Nobody wants to run in two weeks. More horses is the best thing. That’s it.”
Still, Beckman didn't seem to regret trying with Ocelli.
“We ran a great fourth,” he said. “We’ll take that all day.”
Great White, who was scratched from the Derby when he threw his jockey just before the race began, was able to race in the Preakness without incident. He finished eighth as a 9-1 shot.
“We broke good. Got a good trip. Settled mid-pack, traveling very good,” jockey Alex Achard said. “He started picking it up at the three-eighths (pole) and I thought he had something, but through the stretch he didn’t make his run.”
AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
San Mateo Bonsai Club - Bonsai Show Read moreSan Mateo Bonsai Club - Bonsai Show
Connie Weiss said:
CA Is Burning said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.