Coolmore were good enough to invite members of the media to fly up to their farm on Tuesday for an audience with their stunning 2017 roster of stallions which features the best Kentucky Derby winner to ever set foot in Australia.
American Pharoah is an American legend, make no mistake.
This horse is the Black Caviar of North America, a horse that so captured the imagination of racegoers that he transcended the sport of horse racing which is all but impossible to do.
The stats in a nutshell are below.
American Pharoah (USA)
(2012 Bay C., Pioneerof The Nile — Littleprincessemma by Yankee Gentleman)
- An Eclipse Award winning Champion at 2 & 3 years
- The first US Triple Crown Winner in 37 years
- Winner of 8 Group I races by a combined margin of 38 lengths
- Timeform 138 – One of the highest-rated colts of all time
At Two Years Champion US 2YO
1st Del Mar Futurity – Gr.1, 1400m, Del Mar by 4 ¾ lengths
1st Frontrunner Stakes – Gr.1, 1700m., Santa
Anita by 3 ¼ lengths
At Three Years – Champion US 3YO
1st Haskell Invitational Stakes – Gr.1, 1800m, Monmouth Park by 2 ¼ lengths
1st Preakness Stakes – Gr.1, 1900m, Pimlico by 7 lengths
1st Breeders' Cup Classic – Gr.1, 2000m, Keeneland by 6 ½ lengths
1st Kentucky Derby – Gr.1, 2000m, Churchill Downs by a length
1st Belmont Stakes – Gr.1, 2400m, Belmont Park by 5 ½ lengths
1st Arkansas Derby – Gr.1, 1800m, Oaklawn Park by 8 lengths
1st Rebel Stakes – Gr.2, 1700m, Oaklawn Park by 6 ¼ lengths
The highest-rated horse in the world in 2015
"History called and American Pharoah answered," – Wall Street Journal, 7 June
2015
For most horses winning the Kentucky Derby is career defining, for American Pharoah it was a mere step along the path to greatness.
The quantum leap from champion racehorse to champion sire is no slam dunk, but as we have seen with Frankel over the past 12 months it can be done.
With a service fee set at $66,000, American Pharoah is the most expensive first season sire in Australia this spring and deservedly so.
Coolmore are also launching Champion European 2YO Air Force Blue (USA), a triple Group I winning son of champion US sire War Front.
The highest-rated 2yo at Stud in Australia
"None of O'Brien's previous champion two-year-olds has been rated so highly as
Air Force Blue who is the best champion of his age group in Europe for nearly
20 years, with the exception of Frankel." - Timeform
1st Dewhurst Stakes – Gr.1, 1400m, Newmarket by 3 ¼ lengths in a quicker time than those recorded by the likes of Frankel, Teofilo, Shamardal etc.
1st Phoenix Stakes – Gr.1, 1200m, Curragh by 2 lengths in a quicker time than those recorded by Danehill Dancer, Mastercraftsman, Holy Roman Emperor etc.
1st National Stakes – Gr.1, 1400m, Curragh by 3 lengths
Timeform's highest-rated European 2yo of 2015 with a rating of 128p, 5 pounds higher than Shalaa (123p). Higher –rated at 2 years than Pierro (127), Sepoy (124), Sebring (123), Extreme Choice (123), Capitalist (122), All Too Hard (121p) etc.
Given his scintillating two year-old race record, Air Force Blue looks amazingly good value at $16,500.
Juvenile speed has become a focus for Coolmore in recent times with Air Force Blue standing alongside four other juvenile Group I winners outside of American Pharoah in Vancouver, Pride of Dubai, No Nay Never (USA) and Pierro, the Champion Australian First Crop sire for 2016/2017.
At Three Years – Champion US 3YO
1st Haskell Invitational Stakes – Gr.1, 1800m, Monmouth Park by 2 ¼ lengths
1st Preakness Stakes – Gr.1, 1900m, Pimlico by 7 lengths
1st Breeders' Cup Classic – Gr.1, 2000m, Keeneland by 6 ½ lengths
1st Kentucky Derby – Gr.1, 2000m, Churchill Downs by a length
1st Belmont Stakes – Gr.1, 2400m, Belmont Park by 5 ½ lengths
1st Arkansas Derby – Gr.1, 1800m, Oaklawn Park by 8 lengths
1st Rebel Stakes – Gr.2, 1700m, Oaklawn Park by 6 ¼ lengths
The highest-rated horse in the world in 2015
"History called and American Pharoah answered," – Wall Street Journal, 7 June
2015For most horses winning the Kentucky Derby is career defining, for American Pharoah it was a mere step along the path to greatness.
The quantum leap from champion racehorse to champion sire is no slam dunk, but as we have seen with Frankel over the past 12 months it can be done.
With a service fee set at $66,000, American Pharoah is the most expensive first season sire in Australia this spring and deservedly so.
Coolmore are also launching Champion European 2YO Air Force Blue (USA), a triple Group I winning son of champion US sire War Front.
The highest-rated 2yo at Stud in Australia
"None of O'Brien's previous champion two-year-olds has been rated so highly as
Air Force Blue who is the best champion of his age group in Europe for nearly
20 years, with the exception of Frankel." - Timeform1st Dewhurst Stakes – Gr.1, 1400m, Newmarket by 3 ¼ lengths in a quicker time than those recorded by the likes of Frankel, Teofilo, Shamardal etc.
1st Phoenix Stakes – Gr.1, 1200m, Curragh by 2 lengths in a quicker time than those recorded by Danehill Dancer, Mastercraftsman, Holy Roman Emperor etc.
1st National Stakes – Gr.1, 1400m, Curragh by 3 lengths
Timeform's highest-rated European 2yo of 2015 with a rating of 128p, 5 pounds higher than Shalaa (123p). Higher –rated at 2 years than Pierro (127), Sepoy (124), Sebring (123), Extreme Choice (123), Capitalist (122), All Too Hard (121p) etc.
Given his scintillating two year-old race record, Air Force Blue looks amazingly good value at $16,500.
Juvenile speed has become a focus for Coolmore in recent times with Air Force Blue standing alongside four other juvenile Group I winners outside of American Pharoah in Vancouver, Pride of Dubai, No Nay Never (USA) and Pierro, the Champion Australian First Crop sire for 2016/2017.
