There are 21 living Kentucky Derby winners. Here’s where they all are now
Now far more white than his namesake silver, Silver Charm celebrated his 32nd birthday in February at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown.
The oldest living Kentucky Derby winner is now just more than a year from Count Fleet’s record as the longest-lived Derby winner ever. Silver Charm is one of 21 living Derby winners, an exclusive club that will add a new member Saturday.
Many of the living Derby winners are located in Central Kentucky, including three retired from their stud careers at Old Friends Farm.
Here’s a look at the current status of each of those living Derby champions.
Sovereignty
Birthday: Feb. 22, 2022
Status: Still in training
Trainer Bill Mott avoided the temptation to attempt a run at the Triple Crown last year when he held Sovereignty out of the Preakness Stakes after winning the Derby. Sovereignty returned to win three more races in 2025, including the Belmont Stakes. He has raced once in 2026, finishing second to White Abarrio in the Oaklawn Handicap on April 18. Mott told the Thoroughbred Daily News after the race the Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 27 was among the races under consideration for Sovereignty’s next start as he works toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Mystik Dan
Birthday: March 4, 2021
Status: Airdrie Stud, MIdway.
The 2024 Derby winner, trained by Lexington’s Kenny McPeek, won twice more at Churchill Downs in his racing career. He won his last career race in the Lukas Classic Stakes there in September before retiring to stand stud at Airdrie. Mystik Dan finished second in the Preakness and eighth in the Belmont. His stud fee for the 2026 season is $15,000.
Mage
Birthdate: April 18, 2020
Status: Airdrie Stud, Midway
Only the third horse to win the Kentucky Derby after not racing as a 2-year-old — Justify (2018) and Apollo (1882) were the others — Mage retired from racing in November 2023. He never won another race after his Derby victory, finishing third in the Preakness, second in the Haskell and seventh in the Travers. His first foal was born in January 2025. Mage’s 2026 stud fee is listed at $15,000.
Authentic
Birthdate: May 5, 2017
Status: Spendthrift Farm, Lexington
Authentic won the 2020 Kentucky Derby, which was run in September at a nearly empty Churchill Downs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trained by Bob Baffert, he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland two months later, ending his career with six victories and two runner-up finishes in eight races. Authentic now stands stud for $15,000 at Spendthrift Farm, where his father, Into Mischief, is the star stallion (at $250,000 this season) and the reigning seven-time leading sire in North America.
Country House
Birthdate: May 8, 2016
Status: Darby Dan Farm, Lexington
Country House was moved to first place in the 2019 Kentucky Derby — at 65-1 odds, the third-biggest long-shot winner in the race’s history — following a lengthy stewards’ review that led to the disqualification of Maximum Security. Country House — a son of Lookin At Lucky — missed the Preakness due to a virus and ultimately never raced again following a series of ailments, including laminitis. He was officially retired from racing in February 2020 and is now at Darby Dan Farm with a $5,000 stud fee for this year. His most successful progeny to date is 3-year-old filly Song of Songs, who has earned $60,590 to date with a 4-0 record.
Justify
Birthdate: March 28, 2015
Status: Ashford Stud, Versailles
Justify won the 2018 Kentucky Derby in just his fourth career start and ultimately delivered the Triple Crown for trainer Bob Baffert before being retired after the Belmont Stakes, winning all six of his races. He is the only Triple Crown winner to have an undefeated record on the track. The son of Scat Daddy resides at Ashford Stud, and Coolmore has a listed stud fee of $200,000. To date, Justify’s sons have yet to find success in the Derby. He has sired four horses that made the field, but none finished better than 16th. He has no progeny in this year’s field. The most recent Derby winner to sire a Derby winner was Unbridled, who won the 1990 race and was the father of Grindstone, the 1996 Derby winner.
Nyquist
Birthdate: March 10, 2013
Status: Darley, Lexington
Nyquist was just the seventh undefeated horse to win the Kentucky Derby in the previous 100 years when he took the roses in 2016. His perfect record and Triple Crown bid ended two weeks later with a third-place finish in the Preakness, and he ultimately never won again. The son of Uncle Mo stands for $175,000 at Darley.
American Pharoah
Birthdate: Feb. 2, 2012
Status: The Shizunai Stallion Station, Japan
One of the most-celebrated thoroughbreds in recent memory, American Pharoah won the Kentucky Derby in 2015 and later became the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years, wrapping up his career with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland. The son of Pioneerof the Nile moved to nearby Ashford Stud two days after that victory and had an initial stud fee of $200,000 for his first breeding season. Pharoah, who was trained by Bob Baffert, moved to Japan for the 2026 breeding season but is set to return to Ashford Stud in Versailles in July. His stud fee in Japan is listed at $25,850.
California Chrome
Birthdate: Feb. 18, 2011
Status: Arrow Stud, Hokkaido, Japan
The first California-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby in more than 50 years, California Chrome took the 2014 race as the favorite and went on to a career that featured seven Grade 1 victories and American Horse of the Year honors in 2014 and 2016. The son of Lucky Pulpit started his stud career at Taylor Made Farm in Jessamine County, and his first offspring was born in 2018. The following year, a deal was made that sent California Chrome to stand stud in Japan, though he will return to the United States and live in retirement at Taylor Made when his stallion career is finished. His 2025 stud fee is $6,440. California Chrome was named to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2023.
Orb
Birthdate: Feb. 24, 2010
Status: Haras Cuatro Piedras, Uruguay
Orb won the 2013 Kentucky Derby for his fifth consecutive victory before finishing fourth in the Preakness to end his Triple Crown hopes. The son of Malibu Moon never won again and was retired later that year. Orb, who was trained by Shug McGaughey, began his stallion career at Claiborne Farm in Bourbon County — where he had been born and raised — and was sold to a group of Uruguayan breeders in 2021. The 16-year-old horse is currently standing stud at Haras Cuatro Piedras in Progreso, Uruguay.
I’ll Have Another
Birthdate: April 1, 2009
Status: Retired, Old Friends, Georgetown
I’ll Have Another won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2012 but was scratched before the Belmont Stakes and retired before running another race. The son of Flower Alley began his stallion career in Japan before returning to the United States for the 2019 breeding season. I’ll Have Another was reacquired by his former owners — Paul and Zillah Reddam — in 2020 so he could remain in California. He retired to Old Friends Farm in Georgetown in March 2024.
Animal Kingdom
Birthdate: March 20, 2008
Status: Jbba Shizunai Stallion Station, Japan
Animal Kingdom won the 2011 Kentucky Derby and raced into his 5-year-old season, winning the Dubai World Cup at that age. The son of the Brazilian-bred Leroidesanimaux began his stallion career later that year in Australia and has spent much of his post-racing career at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington. Animal Kingdom, who has sired a few Grade 1 winners, started a stallion run in Japan in 2020 and is still living there, now 18 years old. He’s listed with a stud fee of 300,000 yen for 2026. (That’s about $2,000 in American dollars.)
Super Saver
Birthdate: March 18, 2007
Status: Turkish Jockey Club Izmit Stallion Complex, Turkey
Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby as a homebred for WinStar Farm and started his stallion career there the following year. The son of Maria’s Mon was acquired by the Turkish Jockey Club in 2019 and is currently living there. As part of the deal that sent Super Saver to Turkey, he will return to the United States for retirement when his career as a stallion is finished.
Mine That Bird
Birthdate: May 10, 2006
Status: Retired, New Mexico
The ninth and most recent gelding to win the Kentucky Derby, Mine That Bird prevailed at 50-1 odds and is the fourth-longest shot to take the roses. The son of Birdstone never won again in nine starts after the Derby, though he did finish second in the Preakness and third in the Belmont Stakes later that spring. The gelding was originally retired to co-owner Mark Allen’s Double Eagle Ranch in Roswell, New Mexico. Allen sold his ranch in 2020, and the Derby champ then became a pony for young racehorses at HV Ranch in Texas. He spent a month at the Kentucky Derby Museum in 2024. In 2025, Allen brought him to his ranch near Ponca City, Oklahoma.
Big Brown
Birthdate: April 10, 2005
Status: Retired, Old Friends, Georgetown
The nearly-5-length winner of the 2008 Kentucky Derby also won the Preakness before failing to finish in the Belmont Stakes — the only loss of his eight-race career — and retiring later that year. The son of Boundary began his time as a stallion in 2009 at Three Chimneys Farm in Woodford County with a stud fee of $65,000, and he was moved to New York in 2015. He retired to Old Friends Farm in Georgetown in October 2024. Big Brown was the damsire of Mage, the 2023 Derby winner.
Street Sense
Birthdate: Feb. 23, 2004
Status: Darley, Lexington, Kentucky
Street Sense was the 2-year-old champion in 2006 and the Kentucky Derby winner in 2007 before being retired at the end of his 3-year-old campaign. (He’s also the last Blue Grass Stakes starter to win the Derby, finishing second in that race before his trip to Louisville.) The son of Street Cry was sold to Darley Stud while still in training and remains an impressive stallion at 22 years old. His current stud fee is $40,000, and he’s sired 13 Grade 1 winners. One of his current 3-year-olds, Bella Ballerina, was set to run in the Kentucky Oaks before being scratched Thursday.
Giacomo
Birthdate: Feb. 16, 2002
Status: Oakhurst Equine Veterinary Services, Newberg, Oregon
Another surprise winner among living Kentucky Derby champions, Giacomo upset the 2005 field at 50-1 odds and retired at the end of 2006 with three victories in 16 career races. The son of Holy Bull first stood at stud at Adena Springs in Woodford County — the operation later moved to Bourbon County — with an initial fee of $12,500 and remains a stallion today, though he moved to Oregon several years ago. His most recent listed stud fee was $2,500.
Smarty Jones
Birthdate: Feb. 28, 2001
Status: Equistar Training and Breeding, Annville, Pennsylvania
Smarty Jones was undefeated when he won the Kentucky Derby and then the Preakness in 2004 before getting caught in the stretch by Birdstone and finishing second in the Belmont Stakes, the final race of his career. The son of Elusive Quality was just the second Pennsylvania-bred to win the Derby, and he began his stallion career at Three Chimneys Farm in Woodford County. Smarty Jones went back to Pennsylvania after several years at Three Chimneys, later returned to Kentucky to stand stud at Calumet Farm, spent some time as a stallion in Uruguay, and has now returned once again to his home state, where he has a listed stud fee of $3,500 and lives near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Smarty Jones was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame last year.
Silver Charm
Birthdate: Feb. 22, 1994
Status: Retired, Old Friends, Georgetown
Silver Charm was the first Kentucky Derby winner for Bob Baffert, and he nearly won the Triple Crown in 1997, losing the Belmont Stakes to Touch Gold by less than 1 length. The son of Silver Buck had 12 wins and seven second-place finishes in 24 career starts, racing until he was 5 years old. One of six Florida-breds to win the Kentucky Derby, he started his stud career at Three Chimneys Farm in Woodford County and was purchased by the Japanese Breeders Association in 2004, beginning a run as a stallion in Japan shortly thereafter. He was retired from stud duty in 2014 and has lived at Old Friends in Georgetown ever since. Silver Charm is now 32 years old and the oldest surviving Kentucky Derby winner. He was named to the Racing Hall of Fame in 2007.
