Jockey Club projects foal crop declines

The Jockey Club projects another year of declines for the 2014 North American foal crop, with an expected 22,000 foals based on reports of mares bred, down 4 percent from the 2013 estimate.

North American foal crops have been on the decline since 2006, greatly influenced by the market crash of the late 2000s, from which the Thoroughbred industry continues to recover.

The organization also scaled back its projections for the 2012 and 2013 foal crops to 23,500 and 23,000, respectively. Both crops were originally projected by The Jockey Club to be about 24,700.

Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club’s executive vice president and executive director, said that the estimations for the 2012 and 2013 crops were decreased as a result of receiving fewer reports after the August 1 reporting deadline of mares being bred.

Because late registrations make putting out an official number impractical until the end of a crop’s juvenile year, The Jockey Club estimates the foal crop numbers well after all the foals in a particular breeding season have been born. Crop sizes are currently estimated for the 2011 crop and beyond.

Stallion owners who have not yet returned their reports of mares bred for the 2013 breeding season are encouraged by The Jockey Club to do so as soon as possible.

For more information regarding The Jockey Club’s foal crop statistics, click here.

For state-by state fact books, click here.