2022 live foal crop declines 2.2 percent

The Jockey Club released breeding statistics Wednesday that indicate the live foal crop of 2022 is down about 2.2 percent.

The Jockey Club reported that 1,303 stallions covered 29,065 mares in North America during 2021, according to statistics compiled through Oct. 6, 2022. These breedings have resulted in 18,609 live foals of 2022 being reported to The Jockey Club.

The Jockey Club estimates that the number of live foals reported so far is 85 percent to 90 percent complete. The reporting of live foals of 2022 is down 2.2 percent from last year at this time when The Jockey Club had received reports for 19,021 live foals of 2021.

In addition to the 18,609 live foals of 2022 reported through Oct. 6, The Jockey Club also received 2,191 “no foal” reports for the 2022 foaling season. Ultimately, the 2022 registered foal crop is projected to reach 18,700.

The number of stallions declined 10.0 percent from the 1,447 reported for 2020 at this time last year, while the number of mares bred declined 2.1 percent from the 29,699 reported for 2020.

Kentucky annually leads all states and provinces in terms of Thoroughbred breeding activity. Kentucky-based stallions accounted for 57.8 percent of the mares reported bred in North America in 2021 and 61.6 percent of the live foals reported for 2022.

The 16,796 mares reported bred to 207 Kentucky stallions in 2021 have produced 11,460 live foals, a 0.7 percent decrease on the 11,535 Kentucky-sired live foals of 2021 reported at this time last year. The number of mares reported bred to Kentucky stallions in 2021 increased 1.9 percent compared to the 16,485 reported for 2020 at this time last year.

Among the 10 states and provinces with the most mares covered in 2021, four produced more live foals in 2022 than in 2021 as reported at this time last year – California, Ontario, Oklahoma, and Indiana.

The statistics include 181 progeny of stallions standing in North America but foaled abroad, as reported by foreign stud book authorities at the time of publication.

The report also includes 50 mares bred to 19 stallions in North America on Southern Hemisphere time; the majority of these mares have not foaled.

As customary, a report listing the number of mares bred in 2022 will be released later this month.