Triple Crown winner American Pharoah will stand for the 2026 season in Japan
- Turf Diario
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
He will do so in a partnership between Coolmore and the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders’ Association, before returning to Ashford Stud in July
LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).- The phenomenon American Pharoah, the horse who ended a 37-year drought by capturing the U.S. Triple Crown in 2015, is set to add a new chapter to his remarkable career as a sire. The Pioneerof the Nile colt will stand for the 2026 season at Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan, under an agreement with the Japan Bloodstock Breeders Association (JBBA), before returning to his regular base at Ashford Stud, Coolmore’s local division, in July.
The move underscores the longstanding interest Japan has shown in his bloodlines. “We’ve worked very closely with the JBBA on stallion exchanges, and we’re thrilled that their breeders will now have access to his blood,” said Dermot Ryan, manager of Ashford Stud. “There had been interest in purchasing the horse for several years, and this solution represents a middle ground that satisfies both parties. American Pharoah will travel accompanied by his own Ashford groom.”
As a sire, he has already made a significant impact in Japan, where his offspring have demonstrated remarkable consistency and quality. Of 88 registered runners to date, 58 have been winners, an impressive 65% strike rate. Among them stands out the extraordinary Café Pharoah, two-time winner of the February Stakes (G1) and one of the top dirt performers in recent Japanese racing history.
Since beginning his stud career in 2016, American Pharoah has maintained a consistent international presence, siring classic winners in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Japan, cementing a global reputation few American stallions achieve. His versatility—capable of producing both dirt sprinters and turf routers—has been key to his success and explains the high demand for his genetics among Japanese breeders. Above the Curve, American Theorem, As Time Goes By, Harvey's Lil Going, Marketsegmentation, and Van Gogh, all G1 winners, are among his top offspring.
For Coolmore, the decision to send him to Japan represents an opportunity to expand his influence even further without parting with one of the most iconic stallions in its history. A decade after his historic triumph, American Pharoahcontinues to make history, now from the breeding shed, with the same mark of greatness that once captured hearts on the racetrack.
