American Pharoah arrives at stud farm

American Pharoah arrived at Coolmore's Ashford Stud near Versailles, Ky. on Monday, two days after the Triple Crown winner close out his racing career with a 6 1/2-length victory in the $5 million Breeders' Cup practice.

The 3-year-old will be turned out next to Thunder Gulch, who is now 23 years old, and Ashford stallion manager Richard Barry said the plan will be to get American Pharoah into a routine for breeding season. A fee announcement is expected to be announced soon.

American Pharoah is the first Triple Crown winner to stand at stud since Affirmed was retired in 19979, and he's the first available to breeders since Seattle Slew died in 2002.

"There's a lot of interest in him, which there should be," Coolmore's M.V. Magnier said of American Pharoah, via bloodhorse.com. "It's a massive thing for everybody to get a chance to breed to this horse now. He's an exceptional looker and he's an exceptional racehorse, to do what he did."

American Pharoah's sire, Pioneerof the Nile, will stand the 2016 season at WinStar Farm for $125,000. The fee has not been announced for his grandsire, Empire Maker, who has returned to Kentucky from Japan to stand at Gainesway Farm.

American Pharoah, who was bred in Kentucky by Zayat Stables and trained by the legendary Bob Baffert, closed out his racing career with $8,650,300 in career earnings.

"It's a huge relief and we're extremely lucky to have the horse," Magnier said, via bloodhorse.com. "In fairness to Bob, from the outset, a long time ago, he was telling us how good this horse was and that we should try and get him. And thankfully we got a deal done with the Zayats; they're very good people and we're just very lucky that it worked out."