Kentucky Derby and World Cup winner Animal Kingdom will miss this year's southern hemisphere breeding season.

The stallion will stay at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky but Arrowfield Stud says he will return for his fourth Australian season in 2017.

Darley and Arrowfield are the major shareholders in the eight-year-old who won the Derby in 2011 and the Dubai World Cup two years later.

His first Australian-bred two-year-olds will be on the track next season.

"We have great faith in Animal Kingdom and have decided to take a longer-term view of his stallion career so we're resting him now, after he's served three very big books in Kentucky and six consecutive seasons north and south," Arrowfield bloodstock manager Jon Freyer said.

"He's an exceptional horse, but not surprisingly as a Kentucky Derby winner he's been more popular in the US, so it makes sense to rest him from his Australian duties.