Ky. Derby 2026: Street Sense winner Incredibolt leads Holy Bull

Incredibolt, last seen winning the Grade 3 Street Sense at Churchill Downs on Oct. 26, leads an expected field of eight for the Grade 3, $275,000 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 1 1/16-mile dirt race drew a field of nine to compete for 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the top five finishers.

A son of Bolt d'Oro trained by Riley Mott, Incredibolt took two starts to break his maiden last year for owner Pin Oak Stud. He then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the Street Sense (G3) on Oct. 26. He uncoiled a last-to-first run, clearing off to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Universe. Jaime Torres, who has ridden Incredibolt in all three of his starts, returns to the saddle. The Holy Bull will mark his sophomore debut.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

Buetane, trained by Bob Baffert, was entered in the Holy Bull but will not race after his flight to Florida was canceled. 

Bravaro is the only other stakes winner in the field. Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for owners Albert Ciuffetelli, Stephanie Brennan, Shining Stables, BAG racing Stables and Paul Braverman, the son of Upstart broke his maiden on debut in September in a New York-bred maiden special weight and then obliged at odds-on in the Sleepy Hollow on Oct. 25, also against state-breds. Breaking from post 8, he switches to jockey Tyler Gaffalione for his first try against open company and his first two-turn attempt.

Nearly, trained by Todd Pletcher for owner Centennial Farms, tries stakes company for the first time in the Holy Bull after a pair of breakout efforts at Gulfstream. The son of Not This Time was a well-beaten sixth in his sprint debut at Aqueduct in October. The light came on the next month in a six-furlong Florida-bred maiden special weight at Gulfstream, and then he beat open allowance foes going seven furlongs over the same course Jan. 2. John Velazquez, who rode Nearly for both of his local wins, rides from post 7.

Cannoneer, a buzz horse for trainer Brad Cox, faces winners for the first time in the Holy Bull. An Into Mischief half-brother to Grade 1 winner Girvin and Grade 3 winners Midnight Bourbon, Cocked and Loaded, and Pirate's Punch, he sold for $1.75 million as a yearling. Owned by St. Elias Stable and Stonestreet Stables, Cannoneer was third on debut at Churchill Downs in June after breaking slowly. But he put it together in a big way Nov. 29 in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs, leading at every call and winning by 7 1/4 lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr. Ortiz returns to the saddle for the Holy Bull.

The Holy Bull is the first points race of the season at Gulfstream. It will be followed by the Fountain of Youth (G2) on Feb. 28 and the Florida Derby (G1) on March 28. Those races offer 50 and 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the winners, respectively.