Smaller North American foal crop projected for 2018

The Jockey Club projects a North American registered foal crop of 21,500 for the 2018 foaling season, marking a 4.4 percent decrease from the projected crop in 2017.

If the projection holds, it would illustrate a continued decline in the North American foal crop, which has not posted a year-over-year gain since 2005, which produced 38,365 foals. A foal crop of 21,500 would mark the lowest annual foal population since 1966, when 20,228 foals were registered.

The projected crop for 2017, as announced by The Jockey Club in August 2016, was 22,500. That number encompasses horses born in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Traditionally announced in mid-August, the foal crop projection is computed using Reports of Mares Bred received to date for the 2017 breeding season, which are due Aug. 1 of each year. Stallion owners who have not returned their RMBs for the 2017 breeding season are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

“As always, this projection is based on reports of mares bred received to date, and we estimate that approximately 85% of those reports have been received,” said Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club’s executive vice president and executive director.

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