The Jockey Club's Report of Mares Bred: Number of stallions, mares bred decline from 2019

Uncle Mo was the busiest stallion in North America in 2020, according to The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred that was released Friday.

Uncle Mo led all stallions in activity by covering a reported 257 mares at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky. Overall, The Jockey Club reported that 1,067 stallions covered 27,970 mares in North America during 2020. Those figures are based on reports received through Oct. 18; the breed organization estimates that an additional 2,500 to 3,500 mares will be reported as bred during the 2020 breeding season.

Last year at this time, The Jockey Club reported that 1,134 stallions covered 29,218 mares for the 2019 season, with similar estimates of additional reports to follow. The decrease for 2020 is in line with the projections of a shrinking foal crop, a trend that will likely continue in the years to come as the coronavirus pandemic puts economic pressure on breeders.

Kentucky traditionally leads North America in Thoroughbred breeding activity. During 2020, Kentucky’s 200 reported stallions – down from 220 reported stallions in 2019 – covered 16,391 mares, or 58.6 percent of all the mares reported bred in North America. The number of mares bred to Kentucky stallions decreased 4.3 percent, compared with the 17,123 reported at this time a year ago.

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The two states following Kentucky by 2020 mares bred were California with 1,766 and Florida with 1,721, respectively. California’s active stallions reported dropped from 124 to 103, with the number of mares bred decreasing 12.5 percent. Florida’s stallion numbers dropped from 81 to 73, with the mares bred decreasing 7.6 percent.

Of the top 10 states and provinces by number of mares reported bred in 2020, stallions in Louisiana, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico covered more mares in 2020 than in 2019, as reported at this time last year.

Following Uncle Mo as the busiest stallions overall were leading sire Into Mischief, who covered 248 mares at Spendthrift Farm, and second-year stallion Mendelssohn, Into Mischief’s half-brother who covered 242 at Ashford after tying for the lead atop the list in 2019.

Rounding out the top 10 stallions were Vino Rosso (Spendthrift) with 238, Constitution (WinStar) with 231, Mitole (Spendthrift) with 230, Justify with 222, Into Mischief’s son Audible (WinStar) with 219, Omaha Beach (Spendthrift) with 215, and Munnings (Ashford) with 207. Vino Rosso, Mitole, Audible, and Omaha Beach are first-year stallions.

The busiest stallion standing outside of Kentucky was Khozan at Journeyman Stud in Florida, covering 181 mares to place him 18th in the nation.

Earlier this year, The Jockey Club announced it would adopt a rule limiting North American stallions’ books to 140 mares, beginning with stallions foaled in 2020 and after. With the rule not applying to active stallions, 42 covered 140 or more this year.