Champagne one-horse show for Napoleon Solo

Bettors very much expected It's Our Time to back up his 17 3/4-length Saratoga maiden win in the $500,000 Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct on Saturday. Instead, the approximately 2-5 favorite couldn't keep pace with Napoleon Solo, who wound up dominating the historic one-mile test for two-year-olds.

Although Napoleon Solo had also won his debut at Saratoga in convincing fashion, there were key differences between him and It's Our Time. Napoleon Solo had won easily enough, by 5 1/4 lengths, but had done so in an auction maiden, rather than in a maiden special weight.

Speed, though, proved more important than perceived class in the Champagne. Napoleon Solo, under Joel Rosario, broke on top, led by a length over It's Our Time through the opening half-mile, and then extended his lead through the final six furlongs.

The pace was blistering, but Napoleon Solo found more and more. After early splits of :22.53, :44.24, and 1:07.88, Napoleon Solo finished up one mile over a fast track in 1:34.57 while winning by 6 1/2 lengths. Owned by Gold Square, Napoleon Solo paid $15.94.

"It wasn't really the plan, but Joel said he just broke so easy and he had so much horse in hand, he goes, 'with the way the track is playing, let's just go ahead,'" trainer Chad Summers said.

Talkin rallied for second, three parts of a length ahead of Universe. It's Our Time weakened to fourth and was followed by Stradale, Curtain Call, Aye Eye, Stickupwithoutagun, and Just Asap.

A gray son of 2021 Horse of the Year Liam's Map, Napoleon Solo earned a fees-paid berth into the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar. He also earned 10 qualifying points toward the 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1). Talkin earned five points, Universe three points, It's Our Time two points, and Stradale one point.

As for It's Our Time, trainer Tom Amoss said: "We were trying to win the race, constantly in chase mode, and it eventually caught up to us, last eighth of a mile. We did the dirty work, and it was a lot better than a real fourth-place finish."

Earlier in the card, Asbury Park won the $500,000 Jockey Club Derby (G3) by two lengths for his first career stakes win. The second choice, he paid $6.96 after covering 1 3/8 miles on firm turf in 2:14.45.

Owned by Peter Brant and St. Elias Stable, Asbury Park is trained by Chad Brown, who also saddled Rated by Merit to a 1 1/4-length win in the restricted $121,250 Discovery S. for three-year-olds.

Owned entirely by St. Elias, Rated by Merit was making his first start for Brown and first since last November. He won the Discovery in a time of 1:33.45 for one mile and paid $2.58.

The Florida-bred son of Battalion Runner remains undefeated from five starts. He swept all three divisions of the Florida Stallion S. last year at Gulfstream: the Dr. Fager, Affirmed, and In Reality.

Manny Franco was aboard both Asbury Park and Rated by Merit.