Pin Oak Stud

Incredibolt Takes Aim at Holy Bull to Headline Deep Pin Oak Roster

From his earliest lessons at Pin Oak Stud, Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) has handled everything asked of him with ease. Now, his team is hoping that trend continues in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes. Pin Oak's Director of Farm Operations and Property Michael Hardy said that the GIII Street Sense Stakes winner has not missed a beat since his win at Churchill Downs. Following a brief layoff on the farm, the Riley Mott trainee moved to Palm Meadows and has put in a series of six weekly drills, including a bullet...

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Pin Oak's Jim Bernhard Passes Away

Jim Bernhard, who along with his wife Dana, purchased the historic Pin Oak Stud in 2022, passed away unexpectedly Sunday, according to a statement on the website of his Bernhard Capital. He was 71. The Bernhards made their entry into Thoroughbred race with the purchase of Geaux Rocket Ride, whom Jim acquired as a birthday present for his wife at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton July sale. The colt would go on to win the GI Haskell Stakes and ran second in the GI Pacific Classic in 2023. The Bernhards also campaigned...

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Well-Received Elite Power To Stand For $35K at Juddmonte In 2026

Elite Power, the only son of Curlin to receive Eclipse Awards in consecutive season and whose first foals have been very well-received at this year's weanling sales, will stand the 2026 breeding season for a fee of $35,000, live foal stands and nurses, at Juddmonte's Kentucky nursery. Elite Power has covered some 360 mares in his first two years at stud, his first book having included five champions and better than 25 elite-level winners or producers. A colt from the family of GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate)...

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Incredibolt Goes Last-to-First in Churchill's Street Sense

Pin Oak Stud's Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) lived up to his name when rallying from last to surge past 7-5 favorite Universe (Global Campaign) in deep stretch and win Sunday's GIII Street Sense Stakes on opening day of Churchill Downs' 136th Fall Meet. Breaking from post 7 on the far outside, Incredibolt was wide into the first turn and unhurried in last early as unbeaten Ganaas (War Front) set modest early fractions of :24.29 and :48.83. Into the final turn, Incredibolt began to pick up the pace and zipped into fourth...

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Keeneland Bonanza Continues Into Book 2; $1.9-Million Gun Runner Leads The Way

by Jessica Martini, Christina Bossinakis, and Jill Williams LEXINGTON, KY -The only thing that could slow down the momentum of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale was a brief interruption in Wednesday's action when the fire alarms late in the day caused the evacuation of the pavilion. "We joked in the back ring the market was so hot, it set the fire alarms off," Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said with a chuckle after the dust had settled on another competitive day of bidding at the first of two...

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World Beater Back on Top in Colonial's Old Dominion Derby

Delayed several minutes because of the storms sweeping through the area Saturday afternoon, recent GI Saratoga Derby Invitational winner World Beater made it two straight with a victory in the GIII Old Dominion Derby at Colonial Downs. Sent off the hot 2-5 choice for a distance he clearly relishes, the Pin Oak-bred colt entered this contest off a pair of Grade Is at the Spa--a second-place finish in the nine-furlong Belmont Derby on July 4 and a narrow score in the Saratoga Derby over 1 mile and three-sixteenths Aug. 2....

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Breeders' Cup Berth On The Line In Kentucky Turf Cup

A cool $15.6 million in prize money is up for grabs Saturday afternoon at Kentucky Downs, as a 12-race program features no fewer than five graded events each worth at least $2 million at distances from 6 1/2 to 12 furlongs. The GII Kentucky Turf Cup wraps up the main events on the afternoon, and a field of 11 will head to the post for a circuit of the undulating turf course, with a berth in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf on the line. Fort Washington (War Front) is arguably...

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American Pharoah's Stars And Strides Takes To The Turf At Saratoga

9th-Saratoga, $110,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 8-7, 3yo, 1mT, 1:35.03, fm, 3/4 length. STARS AND STRIDES (c, 3, American Pharoah--Holiday Blues, by Ghostzapper) debuted a winner by a head over a sloppy track at the Spa June 7, then was well-beaten behind Rookie Card (Adios Charlie) when he caught a fast main in an allowance race upstate July 19. Trying turf and off as a 9-1 shot here, the colt was up on the pace in the early stages before being taken back into the second flight before the first...

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World Beater at Saratoga
Oscar Performance's World Beater Gives Riley Mott First Graded Win in Saratoga Derby

Pin Oak Stud's World Beater (c, 3, Oscar Performance--Dabinett, by Blame), second last out behind Test Score (Lookin At Lucky) in the July 4 GI Belmont Derby, turned the tables on that rival to give his young trainer Riley Mott the first graded stakes win of his career in Saratoga's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Saturday. The son of and former assistant to Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Riley Mott is no stranger to racing's biggest stage. It will perhaps be more of a surprise to learn this is the...

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Visit Horse Country Hosts Elementary School Students on Farm Tours

Visit Horse Country organized field trips for 170 elementary school students from Woodford County's Summer School Program last Wednesday to tour historic Thoroughbred farms in the heart of the Bluegrass. From kindergarteners to fourth graders, each class enjoyed a specially curated morning designed to ignite their curiosity and introduce them to Kentucky's signature industry. Five prominent Horse Country member farms generously opened their gates: Godolphin at Gainsborough Farm hosted the kindergarten class; Airdrie Stud the first graders; Lane's End Farm the second graders; Pin Oak Stud the third graders; and...

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'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party Inks Sloppy Belmont Gold Cup

'TDN Rising Star' Parchment Party (Constitution) slid on his duck boots and ran on nicely after making the GII Belmont Gold Cup as a 'main track only' entrant. With significant rainfall in the offing during the afternoon, the race was reduced one level when it was taken off the grass and cutback from two miles to one and three-quarters. Still, entries were prepared to chase the 'Golden Ticket' which offered the victor an automatic berth in the Nov. 4 running of the G1 Lexus Melbourne Cup worth more than AUD...

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2025 Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Pin Oak Stud

Founded by Josephine Abercrombie in 1952, Pin Oak Stud has entered a new era under the ownership of Jim and Dana Bernhard. The Bernhards purchased Pin Oak Stud in November of 2022 and acquired an additional 465 acres from Adena Springs in September of 2023. "Pin Oak has always strived to breed horses that can compete at the pinnacle of our sport, this vision begins with the decisions that we make when selecting our matings each year," Pin Oak's Michael Hardy said. "Our team works in close collaboration, carefully selecting...

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