Sire Rankings Look Different Without American Pharoah

As the eyes scroll through the General Sires List, something seemed off. At first, the thought was it must be a glitch, the kind that technology can be prone to having. Then reality hit.

American Pharoah , the second most recent Triple Crown winner, is no longer ranked among the top sires in North America. For now, anyway.

As part of an agreement announced last month between Coolmore America's Ashford Stud and the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association, American Pharoah will stand at The Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan for the 2026 breeding season. He will return to the United States in July 2026. 

American Pharoah's popularity in Japan is increasing by the day even though he does not have as many runners there as more established sires. But that growing appetite certainly played a hand in the decision to shuttle him across the world.

"There are several other American Pharoahs that have run really well in Japan," Kate Hunter, Churchill Downs' Asia representative, told BloodHorse earlier this year. "It's to the point that when I've got Japanese coming to buy horses with me at Keeneland, they're either looking for mares in foal to Pharoah or mares they can get in foal to Pharoah and take back to Japan."

In this spot two weeks ago, American Pharoah was ranked 16th among all sires in North America based on progeny earnings. 

He had several stakes winners in the United States this year starting with Jody's Pride, who prevailed in the Ruffian Stakes (G2) and  placed in two other grade 2 tests this year. Even his non-stakes winners have impressed. His 2-year-old son Mr. A.P. was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1); Publisher has four top-four finishes in graded stakes including a second in the Arkansas Derby (G1); Clever Again was a non-factor in the Preakness Stakes (G1) but came back later in the year to finish a game second on the turf in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T).

The surface didn't matter. Deep Satin won the listed De La Rose Stakes and was second in the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2T).

Another son, Luxor Café, was 12th in the Kentucky Derby (G1), but has four stakes wins in Japan this year, including the Musashino Stakes (G3) Nov. 15 at Tokyo Racecourse.

With American Pharoah no longer ranked, eight of the stallions ranked behind him in the top 25 two weeks ago to climbed one spot with the exceptions being Bolt d'Oro , who moved up two places and Goldencents , who held his position. 

But the subtraction of American Pharoah allowed for the addition of a sire sitting on the outside looking in to grab a coveted top-25 placement. That distinction goes to Maclean's Music .

The 17-year-old son of Distorted Humor hasn't finished a year in the top 25 since he was ranked No. 19 to conclude 2022. He had one other year in the top 25, which he was 25th in 2021. He will stand at Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa near Paris, Ky. next year for $30,000. 

His top runner this year is Macho Music, who won the Pat Day Mile Stakes (G2).