Giant's Causeway tops list

Giant's Causeway, standing at Ashford Stud, leads North American stallions in number of 2007 foals reported so far with 168, according to statistics released Thursday by The Jockey Club.

Giant's Causeway topped Hill 'n' Dale sire Roman Ruler, who has 155 live foals of 2007 reported so far this year.

Those statistics were part of The Jockey Club's report of breeding statistics for 2006, which also showed that 3,881 stallions covered 63,629 mares in 2006, resulting in a crop currently reported to be 36,317 foals of 2007. The number of active stallions dropped 3 percent since last September, and the number of mares also declined, but by less than 1 percent.

Those figures are based on live foal reports that breeders submit each year to The Jockey Club, and the numbers could change as more reports come in. At this time last year, The Jockey Club had received reports for 36,630 live foals.

"Although live foal reporting is a little behind last year at this time, we will receive additional reports in the coming months, and we expect our previously announced projection of 37,500 registered foals for North America in 2007 to be on target," said Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club's vice president of registration services.

Kentucky again was the most active state in terms of Thoroughbred breeding, with 372 Kentucky stallions covering 21,455 mares, or about 34 percent of the mares bred in North America.

Rounding out the top 10 stallions by live foals reported so far were El Corredor with 153; Eurosilver, 147; Johannesburg, 144; Maria's Mon, 142; Stormy Atlantic, 141; Songandaprayer, 139; Afleet Alex, 138; and Grand Reward, 135. All stand in Kentucky.