OPINION | JOHN CLAY: American Pharoah's 2nd act a winner

At Keeneland in 2015, American Pharoah pulled off horse racing's version of the Grand Slam, winning the Breeders' Cup Classic to go along with his victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.

And then, just like that, he was gone, off to Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Woodford County for the next chapter in his storied equine career, the lucrative but always chancy stallion phase.

So, five years later -- as the Breeders' Cup returns to Keeneland this week -- how are things going in American Pharoah's new line of work?

Quite well, thank you.

"The expectations for him were obviously sky-high, and he's done a really stellar job," said Nicole Russo, who reports on bloodstock and sales for the Daily Racing Form. "He's got winners worldwide on all types of surfaces."

Pharoah was North America's leading freshman sire in what was a deep 2019 class. His progeny collected $2,873,170 in earnings, edging out WinStar Farm's Constitution, whose runners earned $2,200,411. American Pharoah, Constitution and Tapiture of Darby Dan Farm each produced 27 individual winners in 2019 to tie atop the freshman sire list.

Though his stud fee was not publicly listed, American Pharoah earned about $32 million in his first breeding season. He produced 143 foals, 72 of which made it to the track. He produced three graded stakes winners, including Four Wheel Drive, who won the Grade II Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

"His first crop of yearlings sold phenomenally well, which is not unexpected," said Evan Hammonds, editorial director for The Blood-Horse. "Most of the buyers noted his foals looked more like their dams, but all seemed to have American Pharoah's cool demeanor. On the track they've lived up to the hype."

Pharoah's top earner overall doesn't even race in North America. The 3-year-old colt Cafe Pharoah has won four of his five races in Japan, where he has earned $853,003 this year and $917,019 overall.

At present, Pharoah ranks 30th among North American sires overall. Thanks in part to Tiz the Law's wins in the Florida Derby, Belmont and Travers, Constitution has taken the top spot among second-crop sires with $5,308,056. American Pharoah is second with $4,461,905. Out of 293 foals, Pharoah has produced 155 runners and 57 individual winners. He has produced six graded stakes winners, including two Grade I winners -- Van Gogh, who won the Grade I Criterium International in France and Harvey's Lil Goil, who won the Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the turf during Keeneland's Fall Meet.

"It's interesting that most of his stakes winners have come on the turf," Hammond said, "which has led to a lot of success with runners in Europe."

After having four entrants in last year's Breeders' Cup, Pharoah will likely have just one this weekend at Keeneland. Harvey's Lil Goil is pre-entered in both the Filly & Mare Turf and the Distaff. Four Wheel Drive is also eligible for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, but he needs defections to make it into the field.

After such a strong start, and his stud fee listed at $100,000 for the 2021 breeding season, can American Pharoah keep it going?

"He's got the potential to continue on strongly for many years," Russo said. "One thing you often see with a young stallion, they get outstanding books of mares in their first season at stud as their farm's supporters look to get them off to the best start. And then maybe with a typical horse, you'll see that quality dip downward a little bit as people go to support their next horse, until they prove themselves on the racetrack and the quality goes back up.

"But I think with American Pharoah, if you go through his books of mares, I think you just see continued quality in top-class race mares all the way through. The potential is there for him to just sort of continue on without that inverted curve that you might see from stallions."

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