Pin Oak Stud’s Incredibolt, after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the Holy Bull Stakes, revitalized his Kentucky Derby hopes with a commanding late surge to win the $506,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs on March 14. This victory earned him 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, tying him atop the leaderboard with 60 points and virtually securing his spot in the May 2 Kentucky Derby starting gate. Jockey Jaime Torres praised Incredibolt’s maturity and confidence, highlighting the colt’s ability to navigate a tightly packed field and explode through an opening in the stretch to win by four lengths in 1:47.76. Trainer Riley Mott expressed optimism about Incredibolt’s stamina and finishing ability, crediting the horse’s breeding and training for the impressive performance.
In other Colonial Downs action, Tour Player, a 5-year-old chestnut bred by Bob Baffert and owned by Graham Grace stable, won the $97,000 Royal New Kent Stakes in a tactical race. Jockey Flavien Prat positioned Tour Player just behind the early leaders before making a decisive move around the turn to take control and hold off challengers, finishing in 1:33.57—just shy of the track record. Tour Player, who has had multiple trainers including Baffert and D. Wayne Lukas, improved his career record to 5-0-1 from 11 starts and has earned $381,173. The win marked his second start for trainer Whit Beckman and underscored his consistency and professionalism on the track.
