Incredibolt Preakness 2026: The Derby Returner Built for Pimlico
Incredibolt ran into traffic at the Kentucky Derby and still finished 6th. Now he heads to Pimlico with a Preakness-winning jockey, a closing style tailor-made for a speed-loaded field, and 5-1 odds that deserve a serious look.
When Incredibolt crossed the wire sixth at the Kentucky Derby on May 2nd, the charts told one story. The replay told another. Stuck behind a wall of horses entering the stretch, Jaime Torres had to angle wide and thread through traffic before finding any running room at all. By the time he was clear, it was too late to catch Golden Tempo — but Incredibolt was grinding forward, eating up ground in the final furlong. That kind of finish, from a horse bouncing off his first Grade 1 experience, is worth more than a sixth-place line suggests.
Now Incredibolt heads to Pimlico for the 2026 Preakness Stakes, posted at 5-1 in a 14-horse field that sets up almost perfectly for a horse with his profile. The pace figures to be honest, the field is deep with speed, and Torres knows this race better than almost anyone in the gate.
A Jockey Who Has Been Here Before
Jaime Torres won the 2024 Preakness Stakes aboard Seize the Grey. He knows Pimlico, knows the footing, knows the angles a closer needs to exploit on this particular oval. That institutional knowledge is not something you can manufacture, and it matters in a Triple Crown race where split-second decisions in the first quarter-mile can define the outcome.
Torres described the Virginia Derby win back in March in terms that speak directly to his chemistry with this horse: he sat in the pocket, found a seam at the furlong pole, and let Incredibolt explode up the rail. That kind of patient, tactical ride is exactly what a closer needs — and Torres has already proven he can execute it under pressure at the highest level.
The Virginia Derby Was a Statement
Before the Derby, Incredibolt served notice at Colonial Downs on March 14th. He won the Virginia Derby by four lengths, posting a Brisnet figure of 100 with a blistering 115 Late Pace number — a rare combination that signals a horse who saves ground, builds momentum, and absolutely fires when asked. The final time of 1:47.76 for a mile and an eighth was professional and composed for a horse still developing in just his fifth career start.
That race earned 50 qualifying points and secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby field. But more importantly, it showed that the Street Sense Stakes win back in October — when he closed from last into a slow pace at Churchill Downs as a Beyer 88 two-year-old — was no fluke. This is a horse who has figured out how to win.
The Holy Bull Blip and What It Means
There is a detour worth addressing. In the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream early in 2026, Incredibolt faded badly and finished well beaten. Trainer Riley Mott offered no excuses at the time — simply said there was “no explanation.” Those four words, coming from a trainer who does not make them lightly, are usually the honest version of something that happened that day: bad footing, an off morning, a trip that never materialized.
What matters is what came after. The Virginia Derby erased the Holy Bull almost entirely. Four lengths, a triple-digit Brisnet, a dominant closing move from a horse that looked fully recovered and then some. In a sport where forgiveness is earned through performance, Incredibolt earned it in full.
Riley Mott and the Story Behind the Barn
The name Mott carries weight in horse racing, and Riley is building his own chapter of that story. Son of Hall of Famer Bill Mott — a two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer — Riley is just four years into his training career and already has more than $3.5 million in earnings, plus his first Grade 1 victories in 2025 with World Beater and Argos. The Preakness represents the biggest stage of his young career, and he arrives with a horse whose profile fits the race.
Incredibolt was purchased for $75,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Sale — a modest buy for a horse now worth multiples of that at the windows. His sire, Bolt d’Oro, was a Kentucky Derby alumnus himself and has sired nine graded stakes winners. Bolt d’Oro progeny have consistently performed best at intermediate distances — exactly the mile and three-sixteenths Pimlico demands. His dam, Sapphire Spitfire by Awesome Again, adds class and stamina, and his half-brother Fire on Time has placed in multiple graded stakes. The pedigree, the price, and the performance all point the same direction.
The Pace Setup Is a Gift for a Closer
Look at this 14-horse field and count the speed. Taj Mahal, undefeated at Laurel Park, figures to be forwardly placed. Chip Honcho, the Risen Star runner-up who skipped the Derby, has tactical speed. Iron Honor, the morning-line favorite and Gotham winner, is a presser by nature. Napoleon Solo, the 2025 Champagne Stakes winner, will not be far off the pace early either.
When a field this large runs at each other early in a Grade 1, something has to give in the stretch. The horses that are clean through the first six furlongs — saving ground, rating off the pace — are the ones with the best chance of running them all down in the final turn. That is exactly who Incredibolt is. Post 12 is an outside draw, which means Torres will need to manage position early, but for a horse with his closing style, getting clear of traffic in the early stages is a feature, not a bug.
Value at 5-1 in a Wide-Open Spot
Three of the last several Preakness winners came out of the Kentucky Derby. Derby experience at this level is not a negative — it is a credential. Incredibolt is one of three Derby starters in the Preakness field, along with Ocelli (who ran a massive race as a 70-1 longshot to finish third) and Robusta (who finished 14th). Among the three, Incredibolt’s troubled-trip sixth is arguably the most forgiving result and the one with the most upside once traffic clears.
At 5-1, he represents genuine value. The morning-line favorite, Iron Honor, has not faced a field of this caliber. Taj Mahal is unbeaten at Laurel but carries question marks against Derby-tested competition. Chip Honcho skipped the Derby entirely. Incredibolt came through a Grade 1 field, handled it better than the result shows, and arrives with a jockey who already has a Preakness trophy in his tack room.
If you are looking for the best odds on Incredibolt, check out the FanDuel Promo Code or the DraftKings Promo Code before the gates open Saturday. The pace setup is right, the jockey has won this race, the trainer is ascending, and the horse has more ability than his Derby chart suggests. Pimlico sets up for a closer. Incredibolt fits the description.