NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. — Incredibolt won the $500,000 Virginia Derby by four lengths Saturday at Colonial Downs, vaulting to the top of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in front of a sellout crowd of more than 9,700 fans.
Ridden by jockey Jaime Torres, Incredibolt ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.76, surging through an opening mid-stretch and pulling away from the field. The win earned the 3-year-old colt 50 qualifying points, tying him with Paladin atop the leaderboard with 60 points each. The top 20 horses earn a spot in the May 2 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Grittiness finished second, Confessional was third, Buetane fourth, and Lockstocknpharoah fifth. The top five finishers earned Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Trainer Riley Mott praised the performance.
"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," Mott said. "We're optimistic and hopeful we can make it to the first Saturday in May."
Torres said the win was the result of patience and confidence in his horse.
"He's really matured and has a lot more confidence now. I was just waiting for the right spot. This is a dream come true," Torres said.
Incredibolt, owned by Pin Oak Stud, LLC, has 3 wins in 5 career starts and earnings of $498,681. He has previously won at Churchill Downs, where the Kentucky Derby is held.
In the day's other featured race, Bottle of Rouge won the Virginia Oaks with a time of 1:41.41 for the 1 1/16 mile race, earning 37.5 points on The Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The 3-year-old filly is trained by Bob Baffert and was ridden by jockey Flavien Prat, who won 5 of the day's 10 races.
The sellout crowd of 9,762 surpassed last year's inaugural Virginia Derby attendance of more than 8,000, and wagering totaled a record $7,799,881, topping last year's record of $6,540,489.
The atmosphere in the stands was festive, with fans dressed in fascinators, hats, and their finest attire. For Karen Barnett, who attended last year's inaugural event, the Virginia Derby has quickly become a tradition.
"Derby Day is coming out to have a good time, seeing beautiful fashion. People are smiling, the horses are fantastic, and you just get so excited," Barnett said.
For Miles Boyle, it was a day to remember for another reason — he won his first ever bet.
"I bet on number 5, Rama Jay, and he ended up winning. So it's my first ever bet, and I won. So it's pretty exciting," Boyle said.
Katherine Foley celebrated her 24th birthday at the race and said the Virginia Derby was the perfect warm-up for a bigger event on her calendar.
"We are here celebrating the Virginia Derby and my 24th birthday, so all the celebrations here at once," Foley said. She added that she is also planning to attend the Kentucky Derby in May.
Chuck McBride made the 4-hour drive from Philadelphia specifically for the event.
"Colonial Downs. It's the only reason why we came down here," McBride said.
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