TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions

Blink and You Missed Him: Incredibolt Bounds Home to Stylish Virginia Derby Score

| 5:38 pm

NEW KENT, VA–From one CD to another.

In his second start of the year, Pin Oak Stud’s Incredibolt (Bolt d’Oro) stamped his ticket for a return trip to Churchill Downs with a visually-impressive finish in Saturday’s Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.

Under the tutelage of Riley Mott, the 6-1 choice is already proven under the Twin Spires when he finished out his juvenile campaign with a win in the GIII Street Sense Stakes in late October. And while his return to the track earlier this season didn’t go quite as planned at Gulfstream Park (sixth in the GIII Holy Bull), Mott never lost confidence in his stable star.

Beneath 9,762 eyes in New Kent, the son of Bolt d’Oro stayed in the front half of a bunched-up field while race favorite Buetane (Tiz the Law) got bottled up in traffic against the fence in sixth. Lockstocknpharoah (American Pharoah) led the 10-strong group up the long Colonial backstretch through fractions of :23.49 and :47.15. Having to work his way towards the front midway around the far turn, Incredibolt hit high gear with clear running room ahead of him and wasted no time hitting the front, quickly opening up a gap back to Grittiness (Curlin) who closed in from last to finish four lengths back of the winner. Confessional (Essential Quality) also closed in from the back of the pack to come home third.

It was a poignant result for Pin Oak Stud who lost Jim Bernhard to a brief illness in November last year.

“It was very impressive,” Mott said. “He sat right in the pocket behind a hot pace and was surrounded by horses most of the way. He took Jaime right up into a hole on the rail turning for home and then just blasted off and was pulling away at the end. In his morning workouts and races, he’s always galloped out really well. He’s bred to do it and he’s shown us he can finish races going long, so we’re optimistic and hopeful we can make it to the first Saturday in May. I’m happy for the horse and our staff, and especially happy for the Pin Oak team and the Bernhard family. We’re missing a very important member today in Mr. Jim Bernhard, but I know he’s looking down on us.”

Winning rider Jaime Torres added” “He’s really matured and has a lot more confidence now. That showed today. I felt like I had plenty of horse around the half-mile, and I thought the horses in front were starting to slow down a little. I was just waiting for the right spot. This is a dream come true.”

With 50 points earned on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Saturday, Incredibolt now sits second on the leaderboard behind only Paladin (Gun Runner). Grittiness also jumped into the Derby top-10 with a total of 36 points.

Pedigree Note:
Spendthrift stallion Bolt d’Oro has 21 stakes winners to his credit from five crops of racing age. Incredibolt is out of a winning Awesome Again mare who has a perfect strike rate of five winners from as many to race. In addition to her Derby-bound son, she has also produced MGSP Fire On Time (Not This Time). Pin Oak Stud picked up Incredibolt for just $75,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2024 and he is his dam’s last reported foal.

 

VIRGINIA DERBY PRESENTED BY NEW KENT COUNTY, $506,000, Colonial Downs, 3-14, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:47.76, ft.
1–INCREDIBOLT, 123, c, 3, by Bolt d’Oro
     1st Dam: Sapphire Spitfire, by Awesome Again
     2nd Dam: Sapphiresndiamonds, by Mineshaft
     3rd Dam: Unbridled Lassie, by Unbridled
($75,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP). O-Pin Oak Stud LLC; B-Deann & Greg Baer DVM (KY); T-Riley Mott; J-Jaime A Torres. $300,000. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-0-0, $498,681. *1/2 to Fire On Time (Not This Time), MGSP, $500,330.
2–Grittiness, 123, c, 3, Curlin–Coach Rocks, by Oxbow. ($575,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $100,000.
3–Confessional, 123, c, 3, Essential Quality–Speedy Vanessa, by American Pharoah. 1ST BLACK TYPE. ($160,000 Ylg ’24 KEESEP).
O-Steve Landers Racing LLC; B-Breed First LLC (KY); T-Brad H Cox. $55,000.
Margins: 4, NK, 2 1/4. Odds: 6.20, 36.40, 8.00.
Also Ran: Buetane, Lockstocknpharoah, Ocelli, Clocker Special, Work, Epic Desire, High Camp. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.