Report of Mares Bred projects slight decline for 2026; Tiz the Law tops sires
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Young sire Tiz the Law covered 274 mares, narrowly ranking as the busiest stallion in North America, as The Jockey Club’s Report of Mares Bred and foal crop estimates released Thursday showed continued contraction in the industry.
The Jockey Club is projecting a North American registered Thoroughbred foal crop of 17,000 in 2026. This represents 300 fewer foals than the 2025 foal crop estimate of 17,300. These estimates are computed using the Reports of Mares Bred (RMB), which are asked to be filed by Aug. 1 of each year. Additional reports are expected to be filed late, shifting the final numbers. However, a decrease in the crop has become the trend in recent years.
The number of active stallions and broodmares also declined. For the RMBs received through Sept. 30, The Jockey Club reports that 740 stallions covered 24,681 mares. Last year at this point, 771 stallions had covered 25,301 mares.
Tiz the Law, who stands at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud, narrowly edged out first-year stallion Arabian Knight at Hill ‘n’ Dale, who bred 273 mares.
Tiz the Law, by Constitution, was a top-three freshman sire of 2024, and continued to have strong race and sales results early this year bolstering his popularity. From his first two crops, he is the sire of graded stakes winners Tiztastic, Scythian, and Non Compliant; stakes winners Cloe, Out On Bail, Silent Law, and Wayne’s Law; and Buetane and Curtain Call, both Grade 1-placed juveniles.
Rounding out the top 10 busiest stallions were Practical Joke (Ashford Stud) with 263 mares; Triple Crown winner Justify (Ashford Stud) with 244; Charge It (Gainesway) with 235; Practical Joke’s son Domestic Product (Ashford Stud) with 224; juggernauts Gun Runner (Three Chimneys) and Not This Time (Taylor Made) with 218 and 214, respectively; Vekoma (Spendthrift Farm) with 211; and National Treasure (Spendthrift) with 202.
Charge It, Domestic Product, and National Treasure are all first-year stallions.
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