Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Incredibolt

Incredibolt joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby sooner than many horses. The early-maturing colt won the Street Sense (G3) during the fall meet at Churchill Downs with a last-to-first rally.

It isn’t surprising to see Incredibolt excelling from an early age. His sire, Bolt d’Oro, was a star two-year-old who won the Del Mar Futurity (G1) and FrontRunner (G1) before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

However, Bolt d’Oro failed to progress as a three-year-old and finished 12th in the 2018 Kentucky Derby (G1). Will a similar fate befall Incredibolt? Or can he take the next step, improve at age three, and vie for victory in the 2026 Kentucky Derby?

A thorough review of Incredibolt’s entire pedigree may provide the answer.

Since retiring to stud, Bolt d’Oro has proven to be a capable sire of stakes winners. Many have emulated Bolt d’Oro with success at age two. Tamara won the Del Mar Debutante (G1), Major Dude took the Pilgrim (G2), Instant Coffee nabbed the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), and Boppy O prevailed in the With Anticipation (G3).

But some of Bolt d’Oro’s best runners have trained on to enjoy success at age three and beyond. Tamara won the Chillingworth (G3) as a four-year-old. Major Dude took the Penn Mile (G2) and Kitten’s Joy (G3) at age three before adding the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) as a four-year-old. Furthermore, Bolt d’Oro is the sire of Eight Belles (G2) winner Look Forward and Pucker Up (G3) heroine Destino d’Oro—two fillies who have achieved their biggest wins to date as sophomores—and also Ruby Nell, winner of the Buena Vista (G2) at age four.

More so than early maturity, a limiting factor for Bolt d’Oro’s progeny has been distance. His runners win at an average distance of 6.8 furlongs, indicating a stallion who sires primarily sprinters and milers. Indeed, Bolt d’Oro’s best runners have excelled racing 1 1/8 miles or less (especially one mile or less), and he’s yet to sire a major winner over classic distances.

Does this mean the Kentucky Derby’s testing 1 1/4-mile distance is out of reach for Incredibolt? Not necessarily. Bolt d’Oro is a stoutly bred son of 1 1/4-mile Travers (G1) winner Medaglia d’Oro out of Globe Trot, a daughter of 1 1/2-mile Belmont (G1) winner and legendary stamina influence A.P. Indy. Globe Trot has also foaled Global Campaign, winner of the 1 1/4-mile Woodward H. (G1), so Bolt d’Oro’s pedigree is packed with stamina, and there’s no reason to think he can’t sire a major winner over 1 1/4 miles.

Furthermore, the bottom half of Incredibolt’s pedigree is stuffed with stamina, too.

Incredibolt’s dam is Sapphire Spitfire, who posted three maiden and allowance wins over distances from one mile to one mile and 70 yards. Prior to Incredibolt, she foaled Fire On Time, a sprinter who finished second in the Winning Colors (G2), but who also proved sufficiently long-winded to win a one-mile allowance.

Sapphire Spitfire, in turn, is a daughter of Awesome Again out of the Mineshaft mare Sapphiresndiamonds.

Awesome Again was a top-tier route racer who won the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), Saratoga Breeders’ Cup H. (G2), Hawthorne Gold Cup (G3), and Queen’s Plate S. over 1 1/4 miles. At stud, his progeny compiled a solid average winning distance of 7.4 furlongs, with the best including record-setting Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper, Belmont conqueror Sir Winston, three-time 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita H. (G1) hero Game On Dude, 1 3/16-mile Preakness (G1) winner Oxbow, and 1 1/8-mile Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winners Ginger Punch and Round Pond.

Classic stamina is also evident in Awesome Again’s record as a broodmare sire. His daughters have foaled Accelerate, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Santa Anita H., Pacific Classic (G1), and Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) racing 1 1/4 miles; Keen Ice, winner of the Travers and Suburban (G2) over 1 1/4 miles; Highland Falls, triumphant in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1); and Next, victorious in a bevy of stakes over distances from 1 3/8 miles to 1 3/4 miles.

As for Sapphiresndiamonds, she failed to win in nine starts, but she’s the dam of Americanus, who finished third against a quality field in the 1 1/16-mile Unbridled S.

Sapphiresndiamonds’ sire, Mineshaft, achieved far more as a racehorse. He earned 2003 Horse of the Year honors after rattling off four Grade 1 wins over distances from 1 1/8 miles to 1 1/4 miles, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Mineshaft has passed on stamina as a stallion, siring 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) Saudi Cup (G1) winner Senor Buscador, Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Effinex, Belmont runner-up Fly Down, and Kentucky Derby runner-up Nehro, to name a few. His daughters have foaled notable winners over a variety of distances; some of the best include Santa Anita H. hero Express Train and 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Cathryn Sophia.

Notably, early-maturing juveniles have been outnumbered by star three-year-olds and older horses among the leading descendants of Awesome Again and Mineshaft. They both peaked as older horses, and they often pass on their late-maturing, stamina-oriented genetics.

As a result, mixing Bolt d’Oro with Awesome Again and Mineshaft has the potential to yield an ideal Kentucky Derby pedigree. Don’t be surprised if Incredibolt outperforms his sire at age three and beyond.