All Hail American Pharoah

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday August 16
It's that time of year when I have to drag myself away from Daybreak Farm and put boots on the ground in far flung places to see some of these stallions I spend so much time thinking about and writing about.

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
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

The best 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

Air Force Blue"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.




Advertisment
More Reading...
A Century of NZB National Yearling Sales Success: Cox Plate
Moonee Valley’s A$6m Group One WS Cox Plate (2040m) is known as the weight-for-age championship of Australasia and has been won by many of Australia and New Zealand’s greatest thoroughbreds.
Good News Week for Geisel Park
Geisel Park’s black-type mare Laced Up Heels is in foal off a maiden cover to Champion Australian Sire Zoustar and an orphan foal has found a new mum.
$140,000 NZB Ready to Run Graduate Books Ticket to G1 Victoria Derby
Bred for stamina being by Melbourne Cup winner Shoicking from a daughter of Tavistock, talented Kiwi bred three-year-old Azazel has booked his passage for the Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m) on Saturday week after a tough victory in the Listed Roderick Insurance Brokers 3YO Geelong Classic (2200m) at Geelong on Thursday.
Breeding To Win – 2025 G1 MVRC Cox Plate
An emotional week in Australasian racing approaches its crescendo as we count down to the final Cox Plate before a radical new era in its history begins and we mourn the passing of one of its greatest champions.
Tarzino Stayer Wins G3 Geelong Cup
Trainer Paul Preusker will get another tilt at a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) after Torranzino ran out a strong winner of the Gr.3 Geelong Cup (2400m) on Thursday.
$400,000 Invincible Filly a Grand Investment
A three-quarter sister-in-blood to dual Group I winning mare Charm Stone, stakes-placed I Am Invincible filly Naifah always looked well bought at the 2025 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $400,000.
Coolmore Favs get the Flemington Straight Experience in Jump Outs
Beiwacht, Beadman and Skyhook, three of the top four in the market for next month’s Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes had a jump out down the Flemington straight on Friday with Beadman quite the eye-catcher.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
The Rosehill trials on Friday morning featured a couple of juvenile heats and both winners came out of the Widden Stud draft at Magic Millions with one topping the sale at $2.8million and the other selling for a modest $150,000.
Sires With Winners - Thursday October 23
Here is the full list of 26 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.