Napoleon Solo stretches out in Fountain of Youth

Feb 23, 2026 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Napoleon Solo wins the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

Napoleon Solo, a dominant winner of the Champagne (G1) last fall in his stakes debut, will have his two-turn capabilities tested off the bat in his three-year-old bow Saturday in the $425,000 Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.

Won by eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Sovereignty last season, the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth offers Derby qualifying points of 50-25-15-10-5 to the respective top five finishers.

Napoleon Solo captured the one-mile Champagne by 6 1/2 lengths, an effort which followed a 5 1/4-length debut score in a restricted maiden at Saratoga. Connections of Napoleon Solo decided to bypass a chance at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in order to concentrate on preparing for the Derby.

'We came here with a plan,' trainer Chad Summers said after Napoleon Solo's Feb. 20 workout at Palm Meadows. 'We looked and saw Sovereignty had six breezes before his Fountain of Youth last year, and we decided to make that plan as close as we could.'

Ten other three-year-olds were entered in the Fountain of Youth. Solitude Dude has been a dominant sprinter this winter with back-to-back wins in the Inaugural S. at Tampa Bay Downs and Swale S. at Gulfstream, the latter by 3 3/4 lengths. Commandment has also been effective around one turn, most recently taking the one-mile Mucho Macho Man S. by 6 3/4 lengths in early January.

Others likely getting looks are Jackson Hole, a Fair Grounds allowance winner for Todd Pletcher; Holy Bull (G3) second Bravaro; and Chief Wallabee, a debut winner for Sovereignty's trainer Bill Mott.

Mott has an intriguing starter in Swing Vote for the $225,000 Davona Dale (G2), a one-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) prep for three-year-old fillies. The daughter of Constitution was a sharp winner of a six-furlong maiden second out and should appreciate the step up in distance.

Other recent graduates that look competitive on paper are Omaha Bay, who beat Swing Vote on first asking, and the Pletcher-trained She Be Smooth. On Time Girl, three-length winner of the Forward Gal (G3) over Imperatrice, appears potentially best of those with stakes appearances.

The Davona Dale offers Oaks qualifying points of 50-25-15-10-5 to the top five finishers.

Post time for the Fountain of Youth is 6:11 p.m. ET, while the Davona Dale goes at 4:34 p.m. ET. Both races can be watched and wagered on at TwinSpires.com.