American Pharoah sets North American record for single-season earnings

Triple Crown winner American Pharoah set a single-season record for North American earnings in 2015, breaking the 2004 mark held by Smarty Jones, according to a release issued Friday by Equibase.

American Pharoah earned $8,288,800 last year, winning 7 of 8 starts, including six Grade 1 races. Smarty Jones earned $7,563,535 in his record season, which also came as a 3-year-old. Smarty Jones’s earnings reflect a $5 million bonus he received from Oaklawn Park for his win in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Tepin was the second-leading earner in North America last year with a bankroll of $2,092,520.

American Pharoah’s success helped lift Zayat Stables to the top of the owners’ standings by earnings. Zayat’s runners earned $10,000,226 in North America in 2015. The stable won 21 races last year from 215 starts.

Midwest Thoroughbreds was the leading owner by wins with 217 from 964 starts in 2015.

Todd Pletcher led all trainers in stable earnings in North America for the sixth consecutive year with $26,278,647 from 1,124 starts in 2015. Chad Brown ranked second in stable earnings with $20,256,456. Karl Broberg was the leading trainer in wins with 420 from 1,393 starts. Pletcher ranked second in wins with 269.

Javier Castellano led all jockeys in wins and mount earnings in 2015. He rode 344 winners from 1,507 starts. Castellano’s mounts earned $28,120,767, which surpassed the North American record of $26,218,107 that he set in 2013. Irad Ortiz Jr. ranked second in mount earnings with $23,546,727, while the second-leading rider by wins was Antonio Gallardo with 320.

This was the third straight year that Castellano has led his peers in earnings.

Tribal Custom led all North American starters in wins in 2015 with 12. In her 19th and final start of the year, she romped by eight lengths over $5,000 starter-allowance foes Dec. 27 at Turfway.

The Jockey Club will release final breeders’ standings for 2015 next week, according to an Equibase representative. Ken and Sarah Ramsey and Darley were in a tight race for the North American earnings title heading into the final day of 2015, according to statistics posted by Blood-Horse. Horses bred by the Ramseys in 2015 had earned $9,374,630, while Darley was sitting at $9,225,921. Adena Springs led all breeders in winners by a comfortable margin heading into the final day of the year with 261. Brereton Jones ranked second with 216.