American Pharoah, 10 years after Triple Crown run, enjoying life in Kentucky as stallion

• In 2015, American Pharoah became the first horse to win the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978
• American Pharoah has been a successful stallion, producing nine horses who have won Grade 1 or Group 1 races since 2019

VERSAILLES — Ten years since winning the Triple Crown, American Pharoah is enjoying life at Coolmore America’s Ashford Stud.

There’s the North American breeding season from mid-February to mid-June. There was the birthday party in February that saw the 15 tickets available to the public sell out in 53 seconds.

And don’t forget all the carrots.

“I think our carrot bill has gone up,” said Adrian Mansergh Wallace, who works in sales for Coolmore. “Maybe we should have a carrot patch over here to grow our own.”

Wallace said fans from all 50 states and several countries visit Ashford Stud annually, with American Pharoah the top attraction.

The bay colt captivated horse racing fans in 2015 by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“The 37-year wait is over! American Pharoah is finally the one!” announcer Larry Collmus famously exclaimed as American Pharoah approached the finish line.

“It’s quite amazing that when you think 10 years ago this week, a horse was about to make history and about to change, maybe, the course of racing,” Wallace said. “If you remember at that time, a lot of people were thinking the Triple Crown was going to have to change format, was going to have to be run over different distances, over a different time period.

“One horse managed to put the horse racing world on his back and possibly change the course of history.”

American Pharoah closed his racing career later in 2015 by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, finishing with a 9-1-0 record in 11 starts and earning $8,650,300.

Coolmore bought breeding rights from owner Ahmed Zayat for a reported $23.5 million, and American Pharoah immediately began his stallion career in 2016.

His first crop began racing in 2019, and he has produced nine Grade 1 or Group 1 winners. Among them are Harvey’s Lil Goil (Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup) and Café Pharoah (two-time February Stakes winner).

Somewhat surprisingly, many of American Pharoah’s progeny have displayed an affinity for turf racing.

“Certainly at the start we thought he was the true all-dirt American sire prospect,” Wallace said. “In many ways he’s gone on to become that. … The true mark of a really good stallion is if they can get 10 or 12 Grade I winners, and he’s well on the way to achieving that.”

American Pharoah spends his life on a scenic Ashford Stud farm that spans approximately 2,000 acres.

His stall is one of six in a wood-paneled barn where a statue of Giant’s Causeway greets visitors. While one of the stalls is currently empty, American Pharoah’s other four barn mates are 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Epicenter, Golden Pal and Mendelssohn.

Wallace said American Pharoah, now 13, hasn’t lost his gentle demeanor.

“He’s very un-stallion like in many ways,” Wallace said. “He’s as gentle now as he was when Bob Baffert and Ahmed Zayat were lying in his stall (in a famous photo). He’s as quiet as he was when he was standing in the winner’s circle at the Belmont Stakes when it looked like all of New York was trying to get in the winner’s circle.”

And Wallace said American Pharoah transfers that demeanor to his offspring.

“That’s what sets the American Pharoahs apart,” Wallace said. “Whereas some horses can be more flighty than others, generally the American Pharoahs take after him. They tend to look like him, and they tend to have that great demeanor.”

Wallace said American Pharoah will cover 140-150 mares this year with a stud fee of $45,000.

That fee could get a boost if either of American Pharoah’s sons — Publisher or Luxor Café — wins this year’s Kentucky Derby. This will be the first Kentucky Derby to include an offspring of the Triple Crown winner.

“It is the most iconic race in the American racing calendar, maybe the world racing calendar,” Wallace said. “For a stallion to sire a Kentucky Derby winner is very, very important. … It’s a very high bar. Hopefully one of these days he can do it.”

How to visit American Pharoah

VisitHorseCountry.com books tours for several horse farms in Kentucky, including Coolmore.

Grace Clark, marketing and member services coordinator for the company, said tours of Coolmore are full through the Kentucky Derby.

“Once Derby Week passes and the rest of May continues into the summer, they have a lot of availability,” Clark said.

Clark said tours of Coolmore are generally available at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and cost $25 per person. Visit the website, VisitHorseCountry.com, for more information.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

This story was updated to add a video.