Ten years after American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, becoming the first horse to sweep the historic series in 37 years, the now 13-year-old stallion gives the appearance he might still be fit enough to run a classic distance.
He would not clock a mile and a quarter in 2:03.02, his time in winning the 2015 Kentucky Derby (G1), but the bay horse still has an athletic presence, and his coat still shines almost as it did when he was a 3-year-old in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs a decade ago.
That much was evident April 22 at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., where the 12th Triple Crown winner was showcased along with fellow Triple Crown winner Justify , age 10, and Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Tiz the Law , age 8.
"We do keep our stallions quite fit because we're of the belief that when breeders come to see them and fans come to see them, you want to see the athlete in them," said Adrian Mansergh Wallace from Coolmore America's nominations and sales division. "At the end of the day, that's what every breeder is trying to do—trying to breed the next Triple Crown contender."
Coolmore has rooting interests in as many as four potential Kentucky Derby runners: Luxor Cafe and Publisher, sons of American Pharoah, and American Promise and Tiztastic, by Justify and Tiz the Law , respectively. Beyond the desire for the success of their stallions, Louisiana Derby (G2) Tiztastic has a further draw. Coolmore-affiliated owners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith co-own the Steve Asmussen-trained Tiztastic with Winchell Thoroughbreds.
"It's pretty exciting," Wallace said of the four horses. "I like working here as akin to working for the Yankees, or Manchester United. You're working for something that is far, far bigger than yourself and far, far bigger than what you could ever imagine."
American Pharoah, whose initial success as a stallion led him to top freshman sires in 2019, currently is the 18th-ranked stallion in North America this year by progeny earnings after finishing in 15th in 2024. Known for winning the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in addition to the Triple Crown, he stands for $45,000 at Ashford.
The sire of nine grade/group 1 winners—Cafe Pharoah, Riff Rocket, Goldrush Guru, As Time Goes By, Harvey's Lil Goil, Above the Curve, Marketsegmentation, American Theorem , and Van Gogh—American Pharoah now has two bright dirt prospects in Luxor Cafe, a winner of four straight in Japan, and Publisher, a maiden but the runner-up in the Arkansas Derby.
Luxor Cafe, a full brother to Japanese champion Cafe Pharoah, was born at Ashford before being sold to race in Japan, Wallace said. Noriyuki Hori trains him for owner Koichi Nishikawa.
Justify, who would follow American Pharoah in the racing history books by becoming the 13th and most recent Triple Crown winner in 2018, watched his fellow Triple Crown winner with interest before having his turn before the assembled media on Tuesday. Both horses were trained by Bob Baffert, with American Pharoah racing for his owner/breeder Zayat Stables and Justify for China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm.
Justify, the top-priced stallion on the Ashford roster with a $250,000 stud fee, still exudes power seven years after his retirement from racing following the Triple Crown. He stamps many of his progeny with his massive size and chestnut color, among them BC Stables' American Promise, the Virginia Derby winner, who will bid to give his 89-year-old trainer, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, a fifth Kentucky Derby win.
Though Tiz the Law did not win the Triple Crown as American Pharoah and Justify did, he scored in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and was runner-up in the Kentucky Derby (G1) during the COVID-19-impacted Triple Crown of 2020. That year, the Belmont was the first leg of the Triple Crown in June, contested without fans at 1 1/8 miles. Tiz the Law ran second to eventual Horse of the Year Authentic in the Kentucky Derby, which was postponed from May until September and also contested without fans.
Tiz the Law did not run in what was the final Triple Crown race of 2020, the Preakness Stakes (G1), in which Swiss Skydiver upset Authentic. Tiz the Law finished sixth in his final career start in the 2020 Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland for trainer Barclay Tagg and owner Sackatoga Stable.
Tiz the Law, the third-leading first-crop sire of 2024 and the fourth-leading stallion among second-crop sires in 2025, stands for $30,000 at Coolmore.
A Kentucky Derby victory for progeny of any of these stallions—just like those from other farms—would send popularity soaring.
Wallace recalled that Uncle Mo siring Nyquist , the champion 2-year-old male of 2015 and the 2016 Kentucky Derby winner, "really changed the course of Uncle Mo's career."
After standing for $25,000 for the 2015 breeding season before Nyquist and others hit the track in the stallion's first crop, Uncle Mo saw his stud fee climb to $75,000 in 2016 before rising all the way to $150,000 in 2017. The high-class stallion died at age 16 in 2024, euthanized after an injury to his left foreleg.
Speaking of the first leg of the Triple Crown, "It is the most iconic race on the American racing calendar, maybe on the world racing calendar, and for a stallion to sire a Kentucky Derby winner is very, very important," Wallace said.
