Fewer '05 stallions, more mares

The number of active stallions in North America declined by 3.7 percent in 2005, while the number of mares bred increased 0.1 percent in the same time frame, according to preliminary statistics released Thursday by The Jockey Club.

That information is based on live foal and no-foal reports submitted to The Jockey Club's breed registry as of Sept. 6. With an estimated 90 percent of the breeding season's reports in, The Jockey Club had recorded that 3,992 stallions covered 64,123 mares in North America last year, resulting in 36,630 live foals reported as of Sept. 6, 2006. Last year at this point, the live foal crop stood at 37,025, or 1.1 percent ahead of the currently reported total.

Kentucky-based stallions accounted for 33.2 percent of mares bred last year and for 40.3 percent of live foals reported so far this year. The number of mares bred to Kentucky stallions in 2005 went up by 4.2 percent from 2004.