ARCADIA, Calif. – The number of Thoroughbred mares bred in California declined 13.4 percent this year but maintained its customary position as second in North America to Kentucky, according to statistics released earlier this month by The Jockey Club. The Jockey Club reported that 1,291 mares were bred in California during the 2025 breeding season, a decline from 1,491 in 2024 and 1,592 in 2023. The reduction comes at a time when racing in Northern California has ceased following the 2024 closure of Golden Gate Fields and the stoppage of fair racing in that part of the state. The absence of racing in Northern California was expected to lead to a decline in the number of mares bred in the state, since many breeders in the north focused on producing foals to race on that circuit. Only three tracks are currently operating in California, all in the southern part of the state – Del Mar, Los Alamitos, and Santa Anita. Doug Burge, president of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association, said over the weekend at Santa Anita that he was “pleasantly surprised” at the California figures reported by The Jockey Club. “I was hearing different stories from the north and the south,” Burge said. :: Bet Santa Anita with confidence! Get DRF All Access Past Performances, Picks, Clocker Reports and more. From a national standpoint, 5.2 percent of mares bred in the country were based in California in 2025, a decline from 6 percent in 2023, according to Jockey Club data. In this decade, the number of mares bred in California has been as high at 1,843 in 2021. The figure has declined annually in the last four years, to the point where California could be overtaken by New York in coming years. There were 1,122 mares bred in New York this year, 169 fewer than California. The gap between the two states was as wide as 512 in 2023. Florida ranked third in the nation with 1,433 mares bred in 2023, but it slipped to fourth this year with 1,066 mares bred. Kentucky, California, New York, and Florida were the only states with more than 1,000 mares bred this year, The Jockey Club reported. Among California’s stallions, 26 were bred to more than 20 mares, according to The Jockey Club. That list was led by Midnight Storm, who was bred to 82 mares, followed by Shaaz (69), Sir Prancealot (56), Hopkins (46), and Brickyard Ride (44). Burge stressed that his organization has developed financial incentives to lure more mare owners to be active in California. For mares bred in 2026, the CTBA will pay $1,000 for each registered statebred foal, up to 25 foals per breeder. Breeders must be members of the organization. The CTBA also will eliminate a $100 foal registration fee for the organization’s members for foals born in 2025 and registered as California-bred in 2026. A similar $100 savings program will be applied for foals born in 2026 and 2027. In addition, the CTBA will provide a $3,000 transportation expense for in-foal mares purchased at public auctions outside of California, provided the mare is bought for $20,000 or more and is 12 years old or younger. The $3,000 payment will be provided when breeders provide proof that the mare was bred to a California stallion. Breeders can receive the $3,000 payment for as many five mares purchased annually. The state’s breeding industry faces uncertainty in 2026 with the closure of Harris Farms in Coalinga, Calif., earlier this year as a commercial facility. Harris Farms was at the pinnacle of Thoroughbred breeding in California. Following the death of farm owner John Harris in July, farm officials said the property would no longer stand stallions or board mares and that there would be a reduction in its racing and breeding holdings. In the 2025 breeding season, nine stallions were based at Harris Farms and were bred to 187 mares, or 14.4 percent of the state’s crop, according to The Jockey Club. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.