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First off I want to say excellent job landing on the winner at a price because in my opinion that horse was actually the real favorite of the race once you stripped away the media narratives and public emotion.
This was a Grade 1 Triple Crown race for 3 year olds and Napoleon Solo was the only horse in the field who had already won a Grade 1 race. That matters to me in a major way because I never give a horse credit for something it has not already earned on the racetrack. A Grade 1 victory against elite company is proof of capability under the highest demands of the sport.
Meanwhile the pundits, talking heads, and social media crowd were focused on the celebrity horse, the feel good story horses, and Derby hype. Taj Mahal and Occelli were getting pushed heavily off reputation, recency bias, and visual impressions from prior races. But when I looked at the field, Napoleon Solo was the only horse that had already proven compatibility with the requirements of a Grade 1 environment.
To me that class foundation carried more weight than anything else in the race. The horse already demonstrated it could survive and win against top tier pressure and competition. In races like the Preakness, proven capability at the highest level means far more to me than projection, hype, or what a horse might become.
That is just my way of thinking and how I personally approach these types of races. Again thanks for taking the time to explain your process Mitch. Always enjoy reading different approaches and perspectives. All the best moving forward.
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