Where the Most Recent Kentucky Derby Winners Are Living Today
The Kentucky Derby may be over in two minutes, but the story doesn’t end at the wire for its winners. They either chase history in the Triple Crown or trade the racetrack for quieter days on stud farms. Their lives after the Derby are full of new rhythms, as they leave their hoofprints well beyond Churchill Downs.
Mystik Dan (2024)
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One year after winning the Kentucky Derby by a nose, Mystik Dan is back in action. He’ll race in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes at Oaklawn Park on May 3, 2025. Since his big win, the colt has had mixed results—second in the Preakness, eighth in the Belmont, and two more races that didn’t go his way.
Mage (2023)
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After claiming the 2023 Kentucky Derby in only his fourth start, Mage wrapped up his brief career with over $2.5 million in earnings before retiring that November. He took up residence at Airdrie Stud, where he launched into stud life with 171 mares in his first season. A bay colt born in January 2025 marked the start of his legacy.
Rich Strike (2022)
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After shocking the racing world with his 80-1 upset in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike spends his days in the breeding shed. His stallion career began at Irish Hill & Dutchess Views, New York. The chestnut colt wrapped up his racing career with over $2.5 million in earnings and some solid finishes in major stakes.
Mandaloun (2021)
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Promoted to Kentucky Derby winner after Medina Spirit’s disqualification, Mandaloun built a solid résumé before retiring in 2022 with more than $3.3 million in earnings. He began his stud career in 2023, and Juddmonte Farms became his post-race home. Early arrivals from his debut stud year are already showing promise.
Authentic (2020)
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After winning the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic, Authentic stepped off the track and into stallion duties at Spendthrift Farm. His early results haven’t disappointed. Among his initial offspring, Rodriguez has made headlines with a commanding win in the $750,000 Wood Memorial, earning a 101 Beyer.
Country House (2019)
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Best remembered for his 65-1 shocker in the 2019 Derby, Country House has started making headlines again—this time as a young sire at Darby Dan Farm. His first stakes winner, Bridle a Butterfly, stormed from last to first to capture the $290,000 William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs in April 2025.
Justify (2018)
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The only Triple Crown winner to retire unbeaten, Justify is proving as powerful in the breeding shed as he was on the track. Standing at Ashford Stud with a $250,000 stud fee for 2025, he’s already sired multiple Grade 1 winners around the globe. One standout is American Promise, a chestnut colt trained by D. Wayne Lukas.
Nyquist (2016)
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After a flawless start on the track and a Kentucky Derby win to cap his unbeaten juvenile run, Nyquist resides at Darley’s Jonabell Farm with a 2025 fee of $175,000. He’s sired standout names like Vequist and Immersive—both Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winners. His yearlings have drawn attention at auctions, with sales reaching seven figures.
American Pharoah (2015)
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Ten years after breaking the Triple Crown drought, American Pharoah continues to shape the sport from Ashford Stud in Kentucky. With nine Grade 1 winners worldwide, his influence is felt far beyond U.S. soil, from Japan’s Cafe Pharoah to Australia’s Riff Rocket. Two of his sons, Luxor Café and Publisher, are set to line up in the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
California Chrome (2014)
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California Chrome’s second act unfolded in Hokkaido at Arrow Stud. After racking over $14.7 million and seven Grade 1 wins, the flashy chestnut moved to Japan in 2020, where he quickly caught breeders’ attention. He offers something fresh to the gene pool with no Sunday Silence or Halo in his bloodline.
Orb (2013)
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After his win in the Kentucky Derby and a strong spring campaign that included the Florida Derby, Orb has taken his talents to South America. Since 2021, he’s been based at Haras Cuatro Piedras in Uruguay, where his mix of Malibu Moon speed and Unbridled stamina brings fresh blood to the region’s breeding programs.
Animal Kingdom (2011)
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Not many Derby winners collect passport stamps like trophies, but Animal Kingdom has made a career of crossing borders. After big wins in the Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup, he settled into stud life with stops in Australia, Kentucky, and Japan. Based at Shizunai Stallion Station in Hokkaido, he brings talent to the breeding shed.
Super Saver (2010)
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Since 2020, Super Saver has been lending his genes to Turkey’s racing future, standing at the Turkish Jockey Club’s stallion complex for the 2025 season at around $13,000. A return to the U.S. is already in the cards once his stallion days are done, but he’s quietly building a legacy for now.
Big Brown (2008)
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After a career that saw him dominate the Derby and Preakness, Big Brown has settled into a quieter life. In September 2024, he joined a group of retired champions enjoying retirement in Georgetown. His resume speaks for itself with wins in seven of his eight starts and more than $3.6 million in earnings.
Street Sense (2007)
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Street Sense has long since traded finish lines for foaling barns, but his influence hasn’t missed a step. The 2007 Derby winner made history on the track and has continued that momentum at Darley’s Jonabell Farm, where he’s become a fixture in top pedigrees. His latest star, La Cara, earned her Oaks spot with an Ashland Stakes win.