On a perfect spring day for racing at Virginia’s premier thoroughbred racetrack, a sellout crowd of more than 9,700 Virginia race fans watched INCREDIBOLT (Bolt d’Oro- Sapphire Spitfire by Awesome Again) win the $500,000 Virginia Derby by four lengths with a time of 1:47.76 for the 1 1/8 mile race at Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent County. His Beyer Speed Figure was a career best 88.
The three-year old colt, who went off with 6-1 odds, is trained by Riley Mott, owned by Pin Oak Stud, LLC, and was piloted to victory by jockey Jaime A. Torres. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Katie Frazier presented the winning race team with the Virginia Derby trophy and led the sellout crowd in the traditional champagne toast to the winners.
Thanks to his victory in the 2026 Virginia Derby, Incredibolt has earned 50 points on The Road to the Kentucky Derby, securing himself a spot in the field for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2, 2025.
“It was very impressive. 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,” said Virginia Derby winning trainer Riley Mott. “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.”
“He’s really matured and has a lot more confidence now. That showed today,” said Virginia Derby winning jockey Jaime Torres. “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.”
Mott had said before the Virginia Derby that the dark bay colt did not handle the Gulfstream dirt when he finished 25 lengths back in the Holy Bull Stakes on January 30. Last year, the colt won two of three starts including the Street Sense Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Pedigree Notes from CT
Purchased for just $75,000 from the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale by Pin Oak, which was founded in the 1950s by Jim Abercrombie and later owned by Josephine Abercrombie. Abercrombie passed away at the age of 95 in 2022 and Jim and Diana Bernhard bought Pin Oak in 2023, adding a large portion of Adena Springs to their purchase. Sadly, Jim Bernhard passed away last November and the farm is operated by Ben Bernhard and Clifford Barry.
Bolt d’Oro is by Medaglia d’Oro and he was a double Grade 1 winner as a juvenile and won the San Felipe Stakes (G2) as a three-year-old. He stands for $25,000 at Spendthrift Farm.
Incredibolt was bred by Deann and Greg Baer and the colt’s dam is Sapphire Spitfire, a three-time winner in 16 races of $45,109 and a half-sister herself to three other winners including stakes-placed Americanus.
Incredibolt’s third dam is Unbridled Lassie, three times stakes-placed and a half-sister to Houston Mile Stakes, etc. winner Winning Connection. They are from Lassie Connection daughter of the Reine-de-Course mare Lassie Dear, by Buckpasser.
Incredibolt (inbred 3×4 to A.P. Indy) is the fifth foal of Sapphire Spitfire. Her first foal, Fire On Time, won $500,330 and was stakes-placed three times and her next three runners won eight races combined.
In another thrilling race in the day’s race program, Bottle of Rouge claimed the 2026 Virginia Oaks win with a time of 1:41.41 for the 1 1/16 mile race. The three-year old filly, who earned 37.5 points on The Road to the Kentucky Oaks, is trained by Bob Baffert, owned by Natalie J. Baffert, and was piloted to victory by jockey Flavien Prat, who won five of the day’s ten races.
Wagering from all sources on the Virginia Derby Day program totaled a new Virginia Derby Day record of $7,799,881, eclipsing last year’s record handle of $6,540,489. The sellout crowd of 9,762 guests eclipsed last year’s inaugural Virginia Derby attendance of more than 8,000.
KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS, as of March 16 2026
Rank / Horse / Points / Owner(s) / Trainer / Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
+ not eligible
Top 18 by points automatically get in
1. Paladin – 60- Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith & Summer Wind Equine LLC (Jane Lyon); Chad Brown $437,500
2. Incredibolt – 60 – Pin Oak Stud LLC (Jim & Dana Bernhard); Riley Mott $424,570
3. The Puma – 56 – OGMA Investments LLC (Gustavo Delgado), JR Ranch (Ramiro Restrepo et al) & High Step Racing LLC (Randy Guy, Joe Noble, Kevin Avera, Jim Ferreira & Todd Perry); Gustavo Delgado $230,000
4. Silent Tactic – 50 – John C. Oxley; Mark Casse $742,630
5. Class President – 50 – WinStar Farm LLC (Kenny Troutt), First Go Racing (Preston Trout et al) & CHC Inc. (Kit-Har Ng); Todd Pletcher $569,700
6. Commandment – 50 – Wathnan Racing (Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani); Brad Cox $329,220
7. Iron Honor – 50 – St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola), William H. Lawrence & Glassman Racing (Cathi Glassman); Chad Brown $165,000
8. Potente – 50 – Speedway Stables LLC (Peter Fluor & K.C. Weiner); Bob Baffert $120,000
9. Chip Honcho – 39 – Leland Ackerley Racing LLC (Lee Ackerley), James Sherwood, Jode Shupe & John Cilia; Steve Asmussen $170,000
10. Grittiness – 36 – Repole Stable (Mike Repole); Todd Pletcher $150,000
11. Further Ado – 35 – Spendthrift Farm LLC (Eric P. Gustavson); Brad Cox $312,470
12. Golden Tempo – 35 – Phipps Stable (Daisy Phipps Pulito) & St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola); Cherie DeVaux $200,000
13. Litmus Test – 34 – SF Racing LLC (Gavin Murphy), Starlight Racing (Jack Wolf et al), Madaket Stables LLC (Sol Kumin), Stonestreet Stables LLC (Barbara Banke), Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables (Matt Dorman), Golconda Stable (Ben Goldberg), Waves Edge Capital LLC (W. Gregg Slager) & Catherine Donovan; Bob Baffert $392,188
– +Crown the Buckeye 28 Paradise Farms Corp. (Peter Proscia), David Staudacher & Hooties Racing LLC (Mark B. Moore); Mike Maker $73,500
14. Renegade – 25 – Robert & Lawana L. Low & Repole Stable (Mike Repole); Todd Pletcher $170,000
15. Chief Wallabee – 25 – Michael & Katherine G. Ball; Bill Mott $76,800
16. Robusta – 25 – Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley); Doug O’Neill $40,500
17. Intrepido – 23 – Dutch Girl Holdings LLC (Michele Arthur) & Irving Ventures LLC (Ruben Isla); Jeff Mullins $260,000
18. Universe – 23 – 4 G Racing LLC (Brent Gasaway), Gregg Day, Steven Crain & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek et al); Kenny McPeek $204,650
19. Pavlovian – 20 – Reddam Racing LLC (J. Paul Reddam); Doug O’Neill $327,000
20. Express Kid – 20 – Paradise Equine Farm LLC (Bradley Kleven & Sharon Kleven); Justin Evans $308,800
21. Nearly – 20 – Centennial Farms (Donald Little); Todd Pletcher $170,950
22. Talk to Me Jimmy – 20 – SEI Thoroughbreds (Julian Myers & Dustin Pusatere) & Rudy R. Rodriguez; Rudy Rodriguez $110,000
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