(Incredibolt wins the G3 Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sunday / All Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

INCREDIBOLT STRIKES IN GRADE III, $200,000 STREET SENSE AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025) – Pin Oak Stud’s Incredibolt overcame a wide draw and rallied from last to surge past 7-5 favorite Universe in deep stretch and win Sunday’s 13th running of the $200,000 Street Sense (Grade III) – the featured event on opening day of Churchill Downs’ 136th Fall Meet and 21st annual Stars of Tomorrow I program for juveniles.

          Incredibolt, a two-length maiden winner at Churchill Downs on Sept. 28 in his second career start, clocked 1 1/16 miles over a “fast” track in 1:44.67 and defeated Universe, the third-place finisher in the Oct. 4 Champagne (GI), by 1 ¾ lengths in his stakes debut. Jaime Torres rode the Kentucky-bred son of Bolt d’Oro for trainer Riley Mott.

          Breaking from post No. 7 on the far outside, Incredibolt was wide into the first turn and last in the early stages as unbeaten Ganaas set modest early fractions of :24.29 and :48.83. Into the final turn, Incredibolt began to pick up the pace and zipped into fourth midway around the turn as Ganaas clipped six furlongs in 1:13.40. Ganaas on the rail and Universe to his outside were shoulder to shoulder at the head of the stretch as Incredibolt charged home with a four-wide rally from the outside. It wasn’t until the final sixteenth of a mile that Incredibolt drew even with Universe but he quickly shot past that rival for the impressive win.

“He’s really, really talented,” Torres said. “Earlier before his first start I told my agent he could be the next Sovereignty. Even though he didn’t win his first start, he’s shown a lot of talent since.”

Sovereignty broke his maiden in last year’s Street Sense for Riley Mott’s father, trainer Bill Mott, and would go on to win this year’s $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) and be a top contender in Saturday’s $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI).

Incredibolt paid $10.18, $4.54 and $3.34 as the 4-1 third betting choice. Universe, under Jose Ortiz, returned $2.96 and $2.76. Very Connected, with Emmauel Esquivel up, was another 2 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $4.92 to show at odds of 13-1.

I Did I Did was fourth and was followed by Ganaas, Bricklin and Vost.

Incredibolt earned $122,070 for Jim and Dana Bernhard’s Pin Oak Stud and improved his record to 3-2-0-0—$196,181. He also earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will determine the preference list for the 20-horse 152nd Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on May 2. Points were awarded on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.

“It’s his second time winning here at Churchill and we’re just delighted to have 10 points for the Kentucky Derby,” said Michael Hardy, Director of Farm Operations for Pin Oak Stud. “Hopefully he can follow the path Sovereignty did.”

The dark bay or brown colt is out of the Awesome Again mare Sapphire Spitfire and was bred by Deann Baer and Greg Baer DVM.

The Street Sense is named in honor of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense who became the first horse to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) as a 2-year-old and the Run for the Roses at age 3. He also was the first Champion Two-Year-Old Colt to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid who won the Kentucky Derby in 1979.

(Life of Joy wins the Rags to Riches Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sunday / All Photos by Holly M. Smith)

COX ENJOYS LIFE OF JOY YET AGAIN IN $200,000 RAGS TO RICHES

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025) – Trainer Brad Cox landed yet another stakes-winning filly in Sunday’s 13th running of the $200,000 Rags to Riches (Listed) at Churchill Downs when Life of Joyovercame a slow pace to draw clear of pacesetter The Grumpy Rabbit in deep stretch and win the 1 1/16-mile race by 2 ¼ lengths to remain unbeaten in two starts.

          Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for owners Will Stroud, Andrew Farm (Richard Brodie), Mountmellick Farm (David Fennelly) and For the People Racing Stable LLC (T. Mike Morgan), Life of Joy ran 1 1/16 miles on “fast” dirt in 1:45.76. For Cox, it was his record-extending fifth win in the race after previous triumphs with Monomoy Girl (2017), Coach (2020), West Sunset (2023) and Good Cheer (2024). Both Monomoy Girl and Good Cheer would win the following year’s Kentucky Oaks (Grade I).

Previously, Life of Joy won her Oct. 2 debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis by an eye-popping 14 ¾ lengths over one mile on dirt.

“She showed a tremendous amount of talent there at Indiana and was an easy winner first out,” Cox said. “We shipped her back here immediately and just wanted to take our time with her. The work last week (four furlongs in :50.20) was a good move. She was moving well and I thought it showed us we can enter to see what the field was like. She backed up the way she was training the past couple weeks.”

Breaking from post No. 3 in the compact field of six 2-year-old fillies, Life of Joy stalked from third position on the outside behind leader The Grumpy Rabbit, who set dawdling early fractions of :25.15, :49.86 and 1:14.44. Life of Joy engaged The Grumpy Rabbit at the head of the stretch and they matched strides down the lane until Life of Joy kicked clear inside the final sixteenth of a mile for the triumph.

“Last time out at Indiana she ran very well,” Ortiz said. “Today was a better group but showed she was able to compete with them. I had a clean break and there was not too much speed on the lead. I felt like she was going pretty comfortable early so I wanted to make sure I got her in the clear and start going forward down the backside. I was just a good passenger.”

          Life of Joy, at odds of 4-5, paid $3.68, $2.74 and $2.33. The Grumpy Rabbit, with Jose Ortiz aboard, returned $3.26 and $2.42 as the 5-2 second betting choice. Go to Girl, ridden by Emmanuel Esquivel, was another 3 ¼ lengths back in third and paid $3.44 to show at 9-1.

Americathegreat was fourth and was followed by Tearin’up My Heart and Josie Joe. Kingsolverwas scratched.

Sunday’s payday was worth $122,070 and Life of Joy improved her record to 2-2-0-0—$141,270. She also collected 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The top five finishers earned points on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1.

By Gun Runner, Life of Joy is a Kentucky-bred bay filly out of the Malibu Moon mare Jordan’s Leo. She was bred by Springhouse Farm and purchased as a yearling for $375,000.

          Sunday’s race is named in honor of Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor’s 2007 Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner.

STREET SENSE STAKES QUOTES

Jaime Torres, Jockey, Incredibolt (winner): “He’s really, really talented. Earlier before his first start I told my agent he could be the next Sovereignty. Even though he didn’t win his first start, he’s shown a lot of talent since.”

Michael Hardy, Director of Farm Operations for Pin Oak Stud, Incredibolt (winner): “It’s his second time winning here at Churchill and we’re just delighted to have 10 points for the Kentucky Derby. Hopefully he can follow the path Sovereignty did.”

RAGS TO RICHES QUOTES

 

Irad Ortiz Jr., Jockey, Life of Joy (winner): “Last time out at Indiana she ran very well. Today was a better group but showed she was able to compete with them. I had a clean break and there was not too much speed on the lead. I felt like she was going pretty comfortable early so I wanted to make sure I got her in the clear and start going forward down the backside. I was just a good passenger.”

Brad Cox, Trainer, Life of Joy (winner): “She showed a tremendous amount of talent there at Indiana and was an easy winner first out. We shipped her back here immediately and just wanted to take our time with her. The work last week (four furlongs in :50.20) was a good move. She was moving well and I thought it showed us we can enter to see what the field was like. She backed up the way she was training the past couple weeks.”

Jose Ortiz, Jockey, The Grumpy Rabbit (runner-up): “We were second best today but she tried hard the entire stretch run. She just didn’t quite have enough late to stay with the winner.”

ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK

Churchill Downs Racetrack (“CDRT”), the world’s most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility and Race and Sports Book. www.ChurchillDowns.com.