The North American Thoroughbred breeding sector arrives on the cusp of the 2013 foaling season with rising expectations. After two years of double-digit percentage declines in registered foal crop production in 2010 and 2011, the latest Jockey Club figures estimate a 3 percent drop for 2012. That mildly encouraging data, coupled with the results of last year’s stable – albeit far from spectacular – bloodstock auctions, offer breeders mounting evidence that the worst of the recession is over.

Classic winner Drosselmeyer was represented by his first foal on Jan. 8, a colt born at Craig and Holly Bandoroff's Denali Stud in Paris, Ky.

The colt is the second foal out of the winning Hennessy mare Heather's Angel, who is out of a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Private Emblem.

“He's a nice colt, very classy looking,” Denali farm manager Gary Bush said. “He has above average size, good leg and covers a lot of ground. There's a lot to like at this stage.”

Veteran sire Songandaprayer, who led all North American sires with 179 winners in 2012, will stand the 2013 breeding season at Harold Forman’s The Stallion Station at Copper Crowne near Opelousas, Louisiana. His fee is $6,000 when the foal stands and nurses, or $5,000 payable on Nov. 15 of the year bred.

The Jockey Club launched the networking platform Thoroughbred Connect in May 2011 as an added feature of its online registration service with the intent to help facilitate the placement and aftercare of retired Thoroughbreds.

A year and a half into the project, more than 1,600 people have signed onto Thoroughbred Connect, and more than 400 horses have benefited from the program, according to Kristin Leshney, legal associate with The Jockey Club, who helped develop the platform.

Ten Most Wanted, winner of the Travers Stakes in 2003, died on Jan. 8 at British Mist Breeding Station in Panama.

The 13-year-old Deputy Commander horse had arrived at the facility last November after being sold for stud duty.

Ten Most Wanted won five of 13 career starts for earnings of $1,718,460, highlighted by his victory in the Travers and a runner-up effort to Empire Maker in the 2003 Belmont Stakes. He also won that year's Illinois Derby and Super Derby, both Grade 2 events.

The American Horse Council has issued a request to all horse farms and ranches in the U.S. to participate in the 2012 United States Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture. The census is conducted every five years to determine the number of U.S. farms and ranches and to gather vital information about U.S. agriculture, including the horse community. Information gathered includes land use and ownership, livestock populations, operator characteristics, production practices, and farm income.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Tizway was represented by his first foal, a filly born on Jan. 9 at Lynn Alexander's Alastar Farm in Nicholasville, Ky.

The dark bay or brown filly is the first foal out of the winning Empire Maker mare Spanish Empiress, a half sister to Honor Vivian, a multiple stakes winner in Mexico. It is the family of champions Dayjur and Sky Beauty, as well as Grade 1 winners Pleasant Home and Tale of Ekati.

Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi was represented by his first foal Jan. 9, a colt born at Blue Diamond South in Newmarket, England.

The colt is out of the Giant's Causeway mare Island Dreams, who was purchased for 190,000 guineas, or about $305,000, by agent Tony Nerses for Saleh Al Homaizi and Imad Al Sagar at the Tattersalls December sale.

"He's a correct, quality foal," Nerses said. "We're very happy with him."

Island Dreams' first foal is a yearling colt by Duke of Marmalade.

Americain, winner of the 2010 Melbourne Cup and a member of the inaugural stallion roster under the new ownership of Brad Kelley at Calumet Farms in Lexington, Ky., will stand the 2013 Southern Hemisphere breeding season at Swettenham Stud in Nagambie, Victoria. His announced fee is $12,000 in Australian currency, or about $13,140.

Frank Stronach's Adena Springs finished 2012 as the leading individual breeder in North America, topping the list for the 10th consecutive year.

According to statistics released by The Jockey Club Information Systems Inc., Adena Springs, which bred the winners of 386 races from 2,946 starts, finished with earnings of $11,615,141.