American Pharoah to Shuttle to Australia

Australian breeders have expressed great interest.

American Pharoah winning the 2015 Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown. Wikimedia Commons/Mike Lizzi/CC

Coolmore Stud announced on Wednesday, March 1 that Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is headed to Australia to stand at stud for the southern hemisphere breeding season. Australian breeders have expressed great interest in the young stallion, whose first crop is hitting the ground this spring. American Pharoah will see many of Coolmore Australia’s quality mares as well as mares from many of Australia’s top breeders who have reportedly been the driving force in encouraging Coolmore to shuttle the stallion.

American Pharoah is obviously appealing to breeders all over the world as the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, but in Australia in particular he should be a popular option due to his bloodlines. Coolmore Australia’s Tom Magnier called American Pharoah a “complement” to the Danehill mares of Australia; Danehill, a son of Danzig, stood eleven seasons down under and was Australia’s Sire of the Year multiple times. With over 2,000 starters to his name, Danehill was a prolific sire as well as the first real high-profile stallion to shuttle to both hemispheres. Having an attractive outcross sire to Danehill mares such as American Pharoah is a boon to Coolmore Australia.

Coolmore Stud is recognized as a trailblazer in the science of shuttle stallions: since the southern and northern hemispheres are on opposite breeding seasons, a stallion can cover mares in the northern hemisphere in the spring and summer and then ship to the southern hemisphere for a fall and winter season. Typical southern hemisphere destinations are Australia and New Zealand, though a South American market is growing as well.

American Pharoah will stand in Australia for the 2017 southern hemisphere season this autumn for a fee of $66,000. He will return to the United States for the 2018 northern hemisphere season.

For an in-depth look at dual hemisphere breeding, we recommend this 2001 article from The Horse.

[Triple Crown Winning World Champion American Pharaoh to Coolmore Australia]