Van Gogh (American Pharoah-Imagine {Ire}, by Sadler's Wells), last year's Cartier champion 2-year-old in the aftermath of victory in the G1 Criterium International, has been retired from racing and sold to stand at East Stud on the island of Hokkaido, Japan in 2022.
During a busy seven-race juvenile campaign last year for the Coolmore partners and breeder Diane Nagle of Barronstown Stud, Van Gogh placed in the G3 Tyros S. and G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. before breaking his maiden at The Curragh. He finished second in the G3 Autumn S. before winning the Criterium International over the heavy ground at Saint-Cloud by four lengths. From four starts–all in Classics–this season, Van Gogh's best performance has been a third in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas.
Bred by David and Diane Nagle's Barrsontown Stud, Van Gogh is the 12th foal out of the G1 Oaks and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Imagine, who has produced five stakes winners. Van Gogh is the highest achieving among those, which also include G2 Al Fahidi Fort winner Viscount Nelson (Giant's Causeway), track record-setting miler Point Piper (Giant's Causeway) and G2 Rockfel S. victress Kitty Matcham (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Imagine is a half-sister to dual Derby and four-time Group 1 winner Generous (Ire) (Caerleon), while the page also includes the excellent sprinter Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Van Gogh is one of 19 worldwide stakes winners for American Pharoah, and that haul also includes a pair of black-type winners in Japan: G1 February S. scorer Cafe Pharoah (Jpn) and Listed Japan Dirt Derby winner Danon Pharaoh (Jpn). American Pharoah has 14 winners from 18 runners in Japan.
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