With international sire star Justify leading the way, as well as four future stallions all set to run in next week's Breeders' Cup World Championships, Coolmore America's Ashford Stud released fees for the Central Kentucky farm's 2026 stallion roster Wednesday afternoon.
Heading the roster is 2018 Horse of the Year and Triple Crown winner Justify, who will stand for $200,000 next season. With his fourth crop racing now, Justify has 27 graded winners and 52 black-type winners, including U.S. and Australian champions, as well as British, Irish, and French highweights.
In addition to established multiple Grade I-producing sires like Practical Joke ($75,000) and Munnings ($45,000), as well as a number of young sires, Ashford has four stallions who will have their first runners next year: Corniche ($15,000), Epicenter ($25,000), Jack Christopher ($15,000), and Golden Pal ($25,000).
Three future Ashford stallions will clash in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 1: Fierceness (City of Light), Journalism (Curlin), and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), while Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) will contest the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on the same day. Citizen Bull, Fierceness, and Sierra Leone are all previous Breeders' Cup winners, Eclipse champions, and 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard', while Journalism is a Classic winner and multiple Grade I winner this year. The fees for all four will be determined at a later date, with Journalism the only one who hasn't officially been announced as ready to retire following the 2025 racing season. That decision will be made in conjunction with Aron Wellman and partners after the Breeders' Cup.
“With the three new stallion prospects set to retire for 2026 all lining up at the Breeders' Cup, there is a great sense of anticipation here,” said Coolmore America's Director of Sales Charlie O'Connor.
“Last year's one-two Sierra Leone and Fierceness renew their rivalry in the Classic, and we, along with all our partners, will also be watching 'iron horse' Journalism with great interest. We believe Citizen Bull has been working very well in the lead-up to the Dirt Mile.
“All three new horses are Eclipse Award winners, following in the footsteps of Ashford stalwarts like Thunder Gulch, Uncle Mo, American Pharoah, and our flagship sire Justify, who completed a clean sweep of the colts' Classics in Britain this year, with Ruling Court and Scandinavia adding to City of Troy's Epsom Derby triumph in 2024.”
O'Connor continued: “Corniche, Epicenter, Jack Christopher, and Golden Pal all had their first yearlings hit the sales this summer and fall, and each was very well received.
“All things considered, we feel our combination of established sires and emerging talent represent excellent value in today's marketplace.”
The entire Coolmore America stallion roster for 2026, with fees, is as follows:
- Citizen Bull: TBD
- Corniche: $15,000
- Domestic Product: $25,000
- Echo Town: $5,000
- Epicenter: $25,000
- Fierceness: TBD
- Golden Pal: $25,000
- Gunite: $25,000
- Jack Christopher: $15,000
- Journalism: TBD
- Justify: $200,000
- Mo Town: $7,500
- Munnings: $45,000
- Practical Joke: $75,000
- Sierra Leone: TBD
- Tiz the Law: $30,000
Ashford stalwart American Pharoah will stand in Japan for the 2026 season, as has been previously announced.
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