Lexington Stakes winner. Kenny McPeek's quiet contender. Post 11. The trainer who won this race last year is back — and barely anyone is talking about it.
The 152nd Kentucky Derby was won by Golden Tempo (23-1), trained by Cherie Devaux — the first female trainer in history to win the race. Jockey Jose Ortiz rode a masterful race to sweep past 4-1 favorite Renegade in the final furlong. This horse finished 9th in the 152nd Kentucky Derby. Winner profile →
At-a-glance profile for the 152nd Kentucky Derby
| Post Position | #11 |
| Morning-Line Odds | 20-1 |
| Beyer Speed Figure | 94 |
| Trainer | Kenny McPeek |
| Jockey | Jaime Torres |
| Owner | Three Chimneys Farm Partners |
| Sire | Into Mischief |
| Dam | Lightning Splash, by Speightstown |
| Born | April 2023, Lexington, Kentucky |
| Color / Sex | Bay Colt |
| Training Base | Keeneland → Churchill Downs |
| Key Prep Win | Lexington Stakes (Gr. III) |
Where Incredibolt comes from and why the pedigree matters
Incredibolt was born in April 2023 at a breeding farm outside Lexington — ground zero for the American thoroughbred industry. He is, in every sense, a product of Kentucky horse country: conceived there, born there, trained there. His early months were spent at Keeneland Training Center, the same facility used by many of the Derby favorites. When his connections decided to ship him to Churchill Downs for his final Derby preparations, it was barely a two-hour van ride.
His campaign has been low-key almost by design. Trainer Kenny McPeek chose not to point Incredibolt at the big-money, high-attention preps — the Florida Derby, the Blue Grass Stakes. Instead, the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland became his target: a Grade III race that doesn't generate the same television coverage, but often produces Derby-quality horses. Incredibolt won it going away, posting a Beyer Speed Figure of 94.
Ninety-four isn't headline-grabbing — the top horses in this year's field have Beyers in the low 100s. But McPeek has said repeatedly he believes Incredibolt has been running within himself. In other words: the 94 may not be the horse's ceiling.
Into Mischief is the most prolific sire in American racing from 2020 through 2025. He sired Authentic, the 2020 Kentucky Derby winner, along with multiple Breeders' Cup champions. His offspring tend to be fast, adaptable, and mentally tough — all essential traits for Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.
Lightning Splash, by the sprinting sire Speightstown, contributes early speed to the pedigree. This matters on Derby Day: the opening quarter-mile at Churchill Downs can be chaotic, and a horse with natural early foot has options — it can stalk near the lead or settle just off the pace without burning too much energy.
The road to Churchill Downs — results from debut through the 2026 Lexington Stakes
| Date | Race | Track | Grade | Dist. | Finish | Beyer | Field | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2025 | Maiden Special Weight | Keeneland | — | 6f | 1st | 80 | 8 | Debut win, drew off by 3 lengths |
| Oct 10, 2025 | Allowance Optional Claimer | Keeneland | — | 7f | 1st | 85 | 7 | Second start, dominant; stepped up in trip |
| Nov 29, 2025 | Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes | Churchill Downs | Gr. II | 1 1/16m | 3rd | 86 | 9 | First try around two turns; wide trip |
| Feb 7, 2026 | Holy Bull Stakes | Gulfstream Park | Gr. III | 1 1/16m | 2nd | 90 | 8 | Ran well in Florida; 20 Road to Derby points |
| Apr 12, 2026 | Lexington Stakes | Keeneland | Gr. III | 1 1/16m | 1st | 94 | 10 | Won by 2¼ lengths; decisive; earned Derby berth |
A clean, upward-trending record with no bad races. The Kentucky Jockey Club third was explained by a wide trip — the first time the horse tried two turns on a big oval. Every subsequent start has been an improvement. McPeek's horses tend to peak at the right time.
Louisville native, cerebral tactician, defending Kentucky Derby winner
Kenny McPeek grew up in Louisville, Kentucky — and as a boy, he watched the Kentucky Derby from the Churchill Downs grandstand. Not as a participant's family member, not as a VIP guest. From the public stands, as a fan. The race was the biggest event in his hometown, and it shaped him. He has said that winning it with Mystik Dan in 2025 was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
He has been training horses professionally since the early 2000s and built a reputation as one of the most patient, cerebral conditioners in American racing. He doesn't chase big-money prep races for the sake of headlines. He maps out a plan for each horse and sticks to it.
The 2023 Preakness Stakes win with National Treasure and the 2025 Kentucky Derby win with Mystik Dan established McPeek as a genuine classic-race trainer. He has the résumé, the knowledge of Churchill Downs, and — most importantly — he has the playbook fresh in his mind. He did this twelve months ago. He knows exactly what it takes.
His approach with Incredibolt has been quieter than the Mystik Dan campaign. Deliberate quiet. McPeek has said less than usual, pointed the horse at a Grade III prep rather than a major, and let the results speak for themselves. Whether that's confidence or strategy — or both — is part of what makes this barn worth watching today.
| Hometown | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Training Since | Early 2000s |
| 2025 KY Derby | Won — Mystik Dan |
| 2023 Preakness | Won — National Treasure |
| Style | Patient, conservative preps |
McPeek grew up watching this race as a Louisville kid in the grandstands. He's said winning it with Mystik Dan was the "fulfillment of a lifelong dream." Today he has another shot — from the same barn, with the same playbook, in his own backyard.
Yauco, Puerto Rico — patient, calculated, and established with this horse
Jaime Torres is from Yauco, in the southwestern corner of Puerto Rico — a municipality that has contributed a remarkable number of elite jockeys to American racing over the past three decades. The island produces riders the way Venezuela and Panama do: through an embedded cultural tradition of horsemanship, a local racing scene, and a pathway to the big tracks in Florida and New York.
Torres has been riding professionally in the U.S. since 2017. He's built his base at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida, and at Keeneland in Lexington — the same Keeneland where Incredibolt has spent most of his career. That's not a coincidence. Torres and Incredibolt have developed a genuine partnership through the prep campaign. He was aboard for the Lexington Stakes win and for the Holy Bull second. He knows this horse.
He rides alongside elite veterans like the Ortiz brothers and John Velazquez — Puerto Rican legends who have shaped what it means to ride at the top level in America. Torres is the younger generation of that tradition. He's carved out his own identity: patient, precise, rarely making a move that isn't calculated well in advance.
In a 20-horse Derby field, patience and positioning are everything. A jockey who panics in traffic, or moves too early, can cost a genuine contender the race. Torres's style suits a horse like Incredibolt — one who may need to improve on the day to win, and who will need a clean trip to do it.
| Hometown | Yauco, Puerto Rico |
| U.S. Career Start | 2017 |
| Home Tracks | Gulfstream Park, Keeneland |
| Prior KY Derby Starts | 1 (top-10 finish) |
| With Incredibolt | 3 starts, 2 wins |
| Riding Style | Patient, calculated positioning |
Midway, Kentucky — one of the most storied breeding operations in American racing
Three Chimneys Farm sits between Lexington and Frankfort in the bluegrass country of central Kentucky — specifically in the small community of Midway, where the land rolls and the white fences seem to go on forever. The name comes from the three distinctive chimneys of the original farmhouse, built in the 19th century when the land was first settled.
Today, Three Chimneys is best known as a stallion operation — one of the most important in the country. They have stood champions including Big Brown (2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner) and Smarty Jones (who captured the first two legs of the 2004 Triple Crown) in the twilight of his career. The farm's business is breeding the next generation of champions.
The ownership group for Incredibolt is a partnership between Three Chimneys Farm principals and a handful of outside investors. Having a Derby horse from your own breeding operation is a source of enormous pride — it validates not just the individual horse but the entire bloodline philosophy of the farm. Three Chimneys bred Incredibolt. Now they're watching him run in the most famous race in America.
Breeding operations live and die by the reputations of their horses. A Kentucky Derby winner from your own breeding program elevates the value of every stallion and mare on your property. It tells the market: our bloodlines work.
Three Chimneys bred Incredibolt. His sire, Into Mischief, was the dominant American sire for half a decade. His dam, Lightning Splash, brings speed from the Speightstown line. If Incredibolt wins today, Three Chimneys wins on multiple levels simultaneously: the race, the publicity, the commercial validation. It's the full circle that everyone in the breeding business chases.
What the 20-1 morning line reflects — and what it might be missing
The Kentucky Derby has produced longshot winners throughout its history. At 20-1, Incredibolt represents a meaningful payout if the stars align. The trainer has the recipe. The post is good. The pedigree fits the distance. The question is whether the Beyer reflects the horse's true ability or whether McPeek has been deliberately protecting him from the spotlight. On race day, the only thing that matters is what happens on the track.
Post 11 sits in what racing analysts call the "sweet spot zone" — the mid-to-outer positions that avoid the extreme rail crush of the first quarter-mile while still allowing a horse to find a comfortable position on the first turn. Multiple Kentucky Derby winners have broken from posts 10 through 13. The gate assignment isn't a reason to bet Incredibolt — but it's definitely not a reason to cross him off the list.
More horse profiles from the 2026 Kentucky Derby