Horse Profiles

American champion Thoroughbred John Henry was one of the most celebrated and successful racehorses of the 20^th century.

Considered one of the best closers of recent history, he twice claimed the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year in 1981 and again in 1984. During his racing career John Henry won 39 out of 83 and a record-breaking $6,591,860 USD in earnings.

A winner of more graded stakes than any other Thoroughbred, 25, he is one of only three hoses to win the Santa Anita Handicap and is the only double winner of Grade I race, the Arlington Million.

A Goal Chance Farm foal, John Henry was born in 1974. Sired by Ole Bob Bowers and Once Double, his pedigree included graded stakes race winner, Double Jay and 1961 Hollywood Gold Cup winner, Prince Blessed.

John Henry began his racing career running in minor stakes and mid-level claiming races. His breakthrough came when, as a three-year-old, he was bought by businessman Sam Rubin who owned the Dotsam Stables. Taken on by trainer Robert Donato, John Henry won 6 out of 19 races he entered and ended the season as a stakes winner.

After the 1979 grass season ended in New York, Rubin sent John Henry to California where under trainer Ron McAnally he enjoyed six stake race winning-streak, helping him emerge as a huge talent.

After retiring from the track John Henry was sent to the Hall of Champions, Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. He died in October 2007, aged 32 after developing kidney problems.

West Australian was a British Champion thoroughbred racehorse and sire, who was the first ever English Triple Crown Champion.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest racehorses of the nineteenth century, during his three-year racing career West Australian won nine out of his ten races including three British Classic races and the Ascot Gold Cup.

He was foaled in 1850 by Melbourne who had an impressive pedigree and sired seven classic winners. Bred by John Bowes of Streatlam Castle, Country Durham, he was trained by John Scott at his Whitewall stables in Malton, Yorkshire.

Scott spotted his talent early and as a colt West Australian made his debut in 1852 at Newmarket in the Criterion Stakes. Despite being beaten by Speed-the-Plough, a few days later he won the Glasgow Stakes by two lengths.

He went on to win his eight remaining races and as a three-year-old became the first horse to win the three most important races – the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St. Leger Stakes – all in one season. The Triple Crown term wasn’t used until later, but West Australian is recognized as the first ever winner.

He ended his three-year-old season as the leading English money-winner with earnings of £10,950 and, after being sold to Lord Londesborough, went on to win the Ascot Gold Cup in his four-year-old season.

After retiring from racing West Australian had a successful career as a stud first at Kirby and then at the Haras de Viroflay near Paris. He sired The Oaks winner, Summerside, 2,000 Guineas winner, The Wizard and Australian who sired Kentucky Derby winner Baden-Baden.

Nicknamed the “Wonder Horse”, Phar Lap was one of Australia’s most famous racehorses of the Depression era. The Champion Thoroughbred dominated Australian racing during his four-season career winning the Melbourne Cup in 1930, the Cox Plate twice and the AJC Derby. From 1928 to 1932 he won 37 out of 51 races and became the most famous horse in Australia.

Phar Lap was born in New Zealand in October 1926 and despite a distinguished pedigree, including 1890 Melbourne Cup winner Carbine, wasn’t a promising yearling. Gangly and with an awkward gait he came last in his first race and was nicknamed the “ugly duckling of the racecourse”.

After running only five times as a two-year-old, his form improved during the next season and he narrowly lost the Melbourne Cup in 1929. He soon hit a winning stride and between September 1929 and March 1932 won 36 out of 41 races. Phar Lap’s success and Melbourne Cup win in 1930 made him a household name in Australia, where horseracing was, by far, the biggest sport of the period.

After conquering the tracks of Australia his owner, American businessman David J. Davis turned his attention to the United States. Phar Lap was taken to the U.S. in 1932 and won his first race, the Agua Caliente Handicap in Tijuana, in track-record time. It was to be his last race as well, as shortly after returning to his stables in California he died in mysterious circumstances.

There have been claims Phar Lap was poisoned and several investigations have attempted to establish a cause of death.

American Thoroughbred racehorse American Pharoah was the 2015 Horse Of The Year and 2014 Eclipse Champion Juvenile and one of the most successful and admired of the modern era.

Winner of 9 races during his two-season career, as a three-year-old he became the only horse to be named the Grand Slam of Thoroughbred racing after winning both the American Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

It was the first time in 37 years that a horse had won the American Triple Crown and only the 12^th ever in history. American Pharoah broke the track record to claim victory in the Breeders’ Cup after missing it in his first season due to injury.

At the end of 2015 he retired to the Ashford stud, in Kentucky, a division of Ireland’s Coomore Stud. Owner and breeder Ahmed Zayat of Zayat Stables confirmed ahead of the 2015 season that he had sold breeding rights to the Ashford Stud, but had retained control over the colt and his racing career.

Before the deal was announced it was claimed offers for the stud rights has exceeded $20million and in January 2018 a weanling from his first crop sold for $1,000,000.

American Pharoah’s impressive pedigree marked him out from the start as a potential great. A blend of speed on his dam Littlepreincessemma’s side, who was closely related to Storm Wolf and Misty Rosette and stamina on his sire Pioneerof the Nile’s side. His grandsire, Empire Maker, was the winner of the 2003 Belmont Stakes and through this male line he’s closely related to Fappiano and Toussaud.