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Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Napoleon Solo the One They Have to Catch in Travers

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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fans of the 1960s TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” have their horse in Saturday’s 157th running of the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes.

The lead character in the campy spy show was an agent named Napoleon Solo.

His four-legged namesake, a grey blur of a 3-year-old horse, is running in the Midsummer Derby. And, if you want to win the race, you’d better have your running shoes on because Napoleon Solo (Liam’s Map) the horse is the one the other nine entered are going to have to catch.

“I would anticipate the plan would be for him to be on the lead,” trainer Chad Summers said, standing outside of Napoleon Solo’s stall Thursday morning. “I know he is the fastest horse in the race. It’s just a matter of how everything works out. He is super sharp right now; he is going to be ready to go.”

Owned by Espoir USA Inc., Napoleon Solo, winner of the GI Preakness Stakes, set the pace in the GI Haskell Stakes before getting caught by Baby Vino (Vino Rosso), who is also running in the Travers.

If there is any question about Napoleon Solo (8-1 on the morning line) and the Travers, it’s the 1 1/4-mile distance. He has never been that far before. The 1 3/16 miles in the Preakness is the farthest he has ever raced.

“Is it his best distance? Is it his most brilliant distance? Probably not,” Summers said. “But you know what? He is a gamer, and he is going to show up, and he is going to give you his best effort. If you are in front, they have to come and catch you. You are controlling the outcome a little bit more than you do when you are coming from last.”

He will be ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who replaces Paco Lopez. Lopez rode Napoleon Solo in his last three starts; he will ride Baby Vino in the Travers.

“If things don’t go according to plan; if you miss the break, if you break slow, Johnny is not going to overreact,” Summers said. “He will have plan B, C and D. There is nothing that Johnny has not seen before. Nothing is going to rattle him.”

As far as the old 60s show goes, no, Summers never saw it. He was born in 1984; The Man from U.N.C.L.E ran from 1964-68. The name for the horse was picked out by former owner Al Gold, who names his horses after his favorite classic television shows as well as movie characters and pop culture references.

Gold sold the horse to the Espoir USA group after the Preakness for an undisclosed amount.

Silent Tactic Could Give Casse Best Spa Summer Ever

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse isn’t going to complain about his Saratoga summer. Truth be told, though, he is a little greedy. He wants more.

Starting in June, when the New York Racing Association held the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and then followed with the 46-day summer meet, Casse has won four Grade I races. Before the summer winds blow out of town, he wouldn’t mind a fifth.

Silent Tactic | Sarah Andrew

That would be the 157th running of the Travers Stakes on Saturday where he is running John C. Oxley and Victoriam Farm’s Silent Tactic (Tacitus), who has been assigned 10-1 morning-line odds.

If Silent Tactic and jockey Luis Saez can find the winner’s circle, they would join double Grade I winner Counting Stars (Honor A. P.) (Acorn Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks), Classic Q (Classic Empire) (Just A Game Stakes) and Nitrogen (Medaglia d’Oro) (Ogden Phipps Stakes) as Casse’s gold star Spa champs.

“It’s the best Saratoga I have ever had,” Casse said outside his barn on the backstretch Thursday morning. “For sure, (Silent Tactic) would put it over the top.”

Silent Tactic is coming to the 1 1/4-mile Travers under the radar. The horses that will get plenty of play are GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo (Curlin), Derby runner-up and GII Jim Dandy winner Renegade (Into Mischief) and the lightly raced Chad Brown-trained Sea Strike (Midshipman), winner of the Curlin Stakes. Golden Tempo and Sea Strike are both ‘TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard.’

That’s okay with Casse. Silent Tactic reappeared in the Jim Dandy after not being seen since finishing second behind Renegade in the GI Arkansas Derby on March 28. He battled a foot issue all spring long and missed the Classics. Casse didn’t know what to expect in the return but was pleasantly surprised when Silent Tactic was a strong third behind Renegade and Commandment (Into Mischief).

“I thought that might have been the best race he has ever run, given all the circumstances,” Casse said.

Now, Silent Tactic gets another chance to show what he can do against the big guns of the division.

“It’s a very strong field,” Casse said. “Golden Tempo is obviously the head of the class. I thought his Belmont was strong and I know that I came away from that with a lot more respect for him. But I also came away from the Jim Dandy with a lot more respect for Silent Tactic.”

Up and Down Season for Castellano

Before he could join Club 6,000, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano had to go through the ugly part of his profession.

A day after winning his 6,000th career race–becoming the 22nd jockey to do so–Castellano couldn’t go anywhere on the Saratoga backstretch without someone coming up and offering congratulations.

“A lot of work, a lot of effort and dedication,” Castellano said Thursday morning. “And a lot of disappointment.”

Javier Castellano celebrates Wednesday | Sarah Andrew

When Castellano won Wednesday’s final race with Starship Lizzy (Central Banker) to give him the magic number, opening day of this year’s meet seemed a long time ago.

And then again, it felt like yesterday.

On July 3, the first day of the 46-day Saratoga summer meet–longest in history–Castellano won the fourth race with a horse named Rumbleyoungmanrumbl (Goldencents). He figured he was on his way to a solid season.

Four races later, the whole vibe changed when Castellano was involved in a horrific four-horse spill that saw him being sent to the hospital with an injury that was later diagnosed as a lower back injury.

“You win a race on opening day, and you are all excited and then you are on the ground,” Castellano said. “I could have been out six weeks, two months. I was concerned about not getting my 6,000 at Saratoga.”

The 48-year-old Castellano, who has always prided himself on taking care of his body, healed quickly. He was able to get to his coveted milestone. This weekend, he’ll try to build on another one, one that may be an untouchable Spa record.

He will ride The Puma (Essential Quality) in the Travers. Castellano has won a record seven editions of the Midsummer Derby. Five other jockeys have won it four times.

“Amazing,” Castellano said. “It would be a great week if I could do it.”

Castellano, 48, just smiled when it was suggested that he should be going for 7,000 wins now.

“Who knows?” he said. “I did not expect to win 5,000 and after I did, people asked me about 6,000. It’s not easy. I just thank God for giving me the skill to be a jockey and to be at a high level.”

The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Napoleon Solo the One They Have to Catch in Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jackie’s Warrior Gets First Stakes Winner As Wood Island Takes The Skidmore

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Freshman sire Jackie’s Warrior (by Maclean’s Music) got his first stakes winner Thursday when Wood Island (Jackie’s Warrior) wired the 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore Stakes for trainer George Weaver.

Meant for the turf but rained onto the main track for his debut win at Saratoga July 21, the 2-1 shot finally got onto his preferred surface here and showed why his connections had pointed him there initially, rocketing out from the outside stall and quickly clearing down to the lead under Flavien Prat.

A host of pursuers gave chase in a tightly-bunched quintet behind him but Wood Island was never pressured as Prat sat motionless around the far turn even as 9-5 race favorite River of Deceit (Hard Spun) began a three-wide move nearing the quarter pole.

Still up front and cruising off the turn, Wood Island ducked in briefly at the furlong marker but straightened out under a hand ride and opened up with authority, wiring this field comfortably.

Titan Ready (Title Ready) was a solo second ahead of a tight photo for third and fourth.

“When he ran first time out, originally I thought I’m not running – this horse is so much better on the grass, I don’t want to run him,” Weaver said. “I only did it because I knew he was quick, and the race looked a little weak on paper, so I took a shot. He showed what he is on the weeds today – he’s very good. Even when Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] rode him on the dirt you could see when you need to ask for acceleration, he gives you a good burst. He’s a very classy horse to be around and I’m very happy for the connections. I’ve known Jack Anderson [Smart Choice Stable] for a long time and it’s fun to have a good one for him.”

Weaver indicated that Wood Island would try and get to the Breeders’ Cup, potentially via that GIII Futurity Stakes at Belmont Oct. 3, a ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

On of seven winners from his sire’s first crop, Wood Island was a $250,000 2-year-old pick up for SGV out of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale back in May. He is a half-brother to MSP Arm Candy (Twirling Candy) and out of an Artie Schiller half-sister to GSW New York Central (Tapit) and GSW Corfu (Malibu Moon). This is also the family of MGISW Peace Rules (Jules). Chilly Fashion has a yearling Army Mule colt and a weanling filly by Kingsbarns. She returned to Jackie’s Warrior for 2027.

SKIDMORE S., $200,000, Saratoga, 8-27, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.36, fm.
1–WOOD ISLAND, 122, c, 2, by Jackie’s Warrior
          1st Dam: Chilly Fashion, by Artie Schiller
          2nd Dam: Fashion Cat, by Forest Wildcat
          3rd Dam: Hold to Fashion, by Hold Your Peace
($220,000 Ylg ’25 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo ’26 EASMAY).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Smart Choice Stable; B-Machmer Hall
(KY); T-George Weaver; J-Flavien Prat. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $173,250. *1/2 to Arm Candy (Twirling
Candy), MSP, $243,213.
2–Titan Ready, 120, c, 2, Title Ready–Speighty Shirl,
by Speightstown. ($12,000 Ylg ’25 FTKOCT). O-Qatar Racing
and Fergus Galvin; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$40,000.
3–River of Deceit, 120, c, 2, Hard Spun–Revealing Quality,
by Quality Road. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Titletown Racing
Stables (Paul Farr) (KY); T-Thomas Morley. $24,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2HF, HD. Odds: 2.37, 2.66, 1.96.
Also Ran: Legacy Lady, Johnny Hockey, So Angelina, American Pope, Bettabe Tough. Scratched: Arsenal Star. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.

WOOD ISLAND makes it 2-for-2 with a win in the Skidmore Stakes under Flavien Prat for trainer George Weaver. pic.twitter.com/xjxDTAVC7f

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 27, 2026

The post Jackie’s Warrior Gets First Stakes Winner As Wood Island Takes The Skidmore appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Napoleon Solo the One They Have to Catch in Travers

---

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fans of the 1960s TV show “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” have their horse in Saturday’s 157th running of the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes.

The lead character in the campy spy show was an agent named Napoleon Solo.

His four-legged namesake, a grey blur of a 3-year-old horse, is running in the Midsummer Derby. And, if you want to win the race, you’d better have your running shoes on because Napoleon Solo (Liam’s Map) the horse is the one the other nine entered are going to have to catch.

“I would anticipate the plan would be for him to be on the lead,” trainer Chad Summers said, standing outside of Napoleon Solo’s stall Thursday morning. “I know he is the fastest horse in the race. It’s just a matter of how everything works out. He is super sharp right now; he is going to be ready to go.”

Owned by Espoir USA Inc., Napoleon Solo, winner of the GI Preakness Stakes, set the pace in the GI Haskell Stakes before getting caught by Baby Vino (Vino Rosso), who is also running in the Travers.

If there is any question about Napoleon Solo (8-1 on the morning line) and the Travers, it’s the 1 1/4-mile distance. He has never been that far before. The 1 3/16 miles in the Preakness is the farthest he has ever raced.

“Is it his best distance? Is it his most brilliant distance? Probably not,” Summers said. “But you know what? He is a gamer, and he is going to show up, and he is going to give you his best effort. If you are in front, they have to come and catch you. You are controlling the outcome a little bit more than you do when you are coming from last.”

He will be ridden for the first time by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who replaces Paco Lopez. Lopez rode Napoleon Solo in his last three starts; he will ride Baby Vino in the Travers.

“If things don’t go according to plan; if you miss the break, if you break slow, Johnny is not going to overreact,” Summers said. “He will have plan B, C and D. There is nothing that Johnny has not seen before. Nothing is going to rattle him.”

As far as the old 60s show goes, no, Summers never saw it. He was born in 1984; The Man from U.N.C.L.E ran from 1964-68. The name for the horse was picked out by former owner Al Gold, who names his horses after his favorite classic television shows as well as movie characters and pop culture references.

Gold sold the horse to the Espoir USA group after the Preakness for an undisclosed amount.

Silent Tactic Could Give Casse Best Spa Summer Ever

Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse isn’t going to complain about his Saratoga summer. Truth be told, though, he is a little greedy. He wants more.

Starting in June, when the New York Racing Association held the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival and then followed with the 46-day summer meet, Casse has won four Grade I races. Before the summer winds blow out of town, he wouldn’t mind a fifth.

Silent Tactic | Sarah Andrew

That would be the 157th running of the Travers Stakes on Saturday where he is running John C. Oxley and Victoriam Farm’s Silent Tactic (Tacitus), who has been assigned 10-1 morning-line odds.

If Silent Tactic and jockey Luis Saez can find the winner’s circle, they would join double Grade I winner Counting Stars (Honor A. P.) (Acorn Stakes and Coaching Club American Oaks), Classic Q (Classic Empire) (Just A Game Stakes) and Nitrogen (Medaglia d’Oro) (Ogden Phipps Stakes) as Casse’s gold star Spa champs.

“It’s the best Saratoga I have ever had,” Casse said outside his barn on the backstretch Thursday morning. “For sure, (Silent Tactic) would put it over the top.”

Silent Tactic is coming to the 1 1/4-mile Travers under the radar. The horses that will get plenty of play are GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes winner Golden Tempo (Curlin), Derby runner-up and GII Jim Dandy winner Renegade (Into Mischief) and the lightly raced Chad Brown-trained Sea Strike (Midshipman), winner of the Curlin Stakes. Golden Tempo and Sea Strike are both ‘TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard.’

That’s okay with Casse. Silent Tactic reappeared in the Jim Dandy after not being seen since finishing second behind Renegade in the GI Arkansas Derby on March 28. He battled a foot issue all spring long and missed the Classics. Casse didn’t know what to expect in the return but was pleasantly surprised when Silent Tactic was a strong third behind Renegade and Commandment (Into Mischief).

“I thought that might have been the best race he has ever run, given all the circumstances,” Casse said.

Now, Silent Tactic gets another chance to show what he can do against the big guns of the division.

“It’s a very strong field,” Casse said. “Golden Tempo is obviously the head of the class. I thought his Belmont was strong and I know that I came away from that with a lot more respect for him. But I also came away from the Jim Dandy with a lot more respect for Silent Tactic.”

Up and Down Season for Castellano

Before he could join Club 6,000, Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano had to go through the ugly part of his profession.

A day after winning his 6,000th career race–becoming the 22nd jockey to do so–Castellano couldn’t go anywhere on the Saratoga backstretch without someone coming up and offering congratulations.

“A lot of work, a lot of effort and dedication,” Castellano said Thursday morning. “And a lot of disappointment.”

Javier Castellano celebrates Wednesday | Sarah Andrew

When Castellano won Wednesday’s final race with Starship Lizzy (Central Banker) to give him the magic number, opening day of this year’s meet seemed a long time ago.

And then again, it felt like yesterday.

On July 3, the first day of the 46-day Saratoga summer meet–longest in history–Castellano won the fourth race with a horse named Rumbleyoungmanrumbl (Goldencents). He figured he was on his way to a solid season.

Four races later, the whole vibe changed when Castellano was involved in a horrific four-horse spill that saw him being sent to the hospital with an injury that was later diagnosed as a lower back injury.

“You win a race on opening day, and you are all excited and then you are on the ground,” Castellano said. “I could have been out six weeks, two months. I was concerned about not getting my 6,000 at Saratoga.”

The 48-year-old Castellano, who has always prided himself on taking care of his body, healed quickly. He was able to get to his coveted milestone. This weekend, he’ll try to build on another one, one that may be an untouchable Spa record.

He will ride The Puma (Essential Quality) in the Travers. Castellano has won a record seven editions of the Midsummer Derby. Five other jockeys have won it four times.

“Amazing,” Castellano said. “It would be a great week if I could do it.”

Castellano, 48, just smiled when it was suggested that he should be going for 7,000 wins now.

“Who knows?” he said. “I did not expect to win 5,000 and after I did, people asked me about 6,000. It’s not easy. I just thank God for giving me the skill to be a jockey and to be at a high level.”

The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Napoleon Solo the One They Have to Catch in Travers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Jackie’s Warrior Gets First Stakes Winner As Wood Island Takes The Skidmore

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Freshman sire Jackie’s Warrior (by Maclean’s Music) got his first stakes winner Thursday when Wood Island (Jackie’s Warrior) wired the 5 1/2-furlong Skidmore Stakes for trainer George Weaver.

Meant for the turf but rained onto the main track for his debut win at Saratoga July 21, the 2-1 shot finally got onto his preferred surface here and showed why his connections had pointed him there initially, rocketing out from the outside stall and quickly clearing down to the lead under Flavien Prat.

A host of pursuers gave chase in a tightly-bunched quintet behind him but Wood Island was never pressured as Prat sat motionless around the far turn even as 9-5 race favorite River of Deceit (Hard Spun) began a three-wide move nearing the quarter pole.

Still up front and cruising off the turn, Wood Island ducked in briefly at the furlong marker but straightened out under a hand ride and opened up with authority, wiring this field comfortably.

Titan Ready (Title Ready) was a solo second ahead of a tight photo for third and fourth.

“When he ran first time out, originally I thought I’m not running – this horse is so much better on the grass, I don’t want to run him,” Weaver said. “I only did it because I knew he was quick, and the race looked a little weak on paper, so I took a shot. He showed what he is on the weeds today – he’s very good. Even when Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] rode him on the dirt you could see when you need to ask for acceleration, he gives you a good burst. He’s a very classy horse to be around and I’m very happy for the connections. I’ve known Jack Anderson [Smart Choice Stable] for a long time and it’s fun to have a good one for him.”

Weaver indicated that Wood Island would try and get to the Breeders’ Cup, potentially via that GIII Futurity Stakes at Belmont Oct. 3, a ‘Win and You’re In’ race for the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

On of seven winners from his sire’s first crop, Wood Island was a $250,000 2-year-old pick up for SGV out of the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale back in May. He is a half-brother to MSP Arm Candy (Twirling Candy) and out of an Artie Schiller half-sister to GSW New York Central (Tapit) and GSW Corfu (Malibu Moon). This is also the family of MGISW Peace Rules (Jules). Chilly Fashion has a yearling Army Mule colt and a weanling filly by Kingsbarns. She returned to Jackie’s Warrior for 2027.

SKIDMORE S., $200,000, Saratoga, 8-27, 2yo, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.36, fm.
1–WOOD ISLAND, 122, c, 2, by Jackie’s Warrior
          1st Dam: Chilly Fashion, by Artie Schiller
          2nd Dam: Fashion Cat, by Forest Wildcat
          3rd Dam: Hold to Fashion, by Hold Your Peace
($220,000 Ylg ’25 KEESEP; $250,000 2yo ’26 EASMAY).
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Smart Choice Stable; B-Machmer Hall
(KY); T-George Weaver; J-Flavien Prat. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $173,250. *1/2 to Arm Candy (Twirling
Candy), MSP, $243,213.
2–Titan Ready, 120, c, 2, Title Ready–Speighty Shirl,
by Speightstown. ($12,000 Ylg ’25 FTKOCT). O-Qatar Racing
and Fergus Galvin; B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$40,000.
3–River of Deceit, 120, c, 2, Hard Spun–Revealing Quality,
by Quality Road. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O/B-Titletown Racing
Stables (Paul Farr) (KY); T-Thomas Morley. $24,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2HF, HD. Odds: 2.37, 2.66, 1.96.
Also Ran: Legacy Lady, Johnny Hockey, So Angelina, American Pope, Bettabe Tough. Scratched: Arsenal Star. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.

WOOD ISLAND makes it 2-for-2 with a win in the Skidmore Stakes under Flavien Prat for trainer George Weaver. pic.twitter.com/xjxDTAVC7f

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 27, 2026

The post Jackie’s Warrior Gets First Stakes Winner As Wood Island Takes The Skidmore appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.