Statistics show number of live foals down 2.2% from 2021

By: Tom LaMarra

Posted: Oct. 14, 2022

According to statistics compiled through Oct. 6, there were 18,609 live Thoroughbred foals of 2022, down 2.2% from the same time last year when The Jockey Club reported 19,021 live foals.

The Jockey Club, which released the data Oct. 12, estimates that the number of live foals reported so far is 85% to 90% complete.

In addition to the 18,609 live foals of 2022 reported through Oct. 6, The Jockey Club also received 2,191 “no foal” reports for the 2022 season. The 2022 registered foal crop is projected to reach 18,700, The Jockey Club said.

The number of stallions, 1,303, declined 10% from the 1,447 reported for 2020 at this time last year, while the number of mares bred dropped 2.1% from the 29,699 reported for 2020.

The 2022 breeding statistics are available alphabetically by stallion name through the Resources-Fact Book link at jockeyclub.com.

State statistics show Kentucky-based stallions accounted for 57.8% of the mares reported bred in North America in 2021 and 61.6% of the live foals reported for 2022. The 16,796 mares reported bred to 207 Kentucky stallions in 2021 produced 11,460 live foals, down 0.7% from the 11,535 Kentucky-sired live foals of 2021 reported at this time last year. The number of mares reported bred to Kentucky stallions in 2021 increased 1.9% compared with 16,485 reported for 2020 at this time in 2021.

Of the top 10 states with the highest number of mares bred, California, Ontario, Oklahoma and Indiana showed an increase in live foals from 2021 figures. The largest declines among the top 10 came in Pennsylvania (24.3% fewer live foals year over year), New York (11.2% fewer foals), Louisiana (9.7% fewer foals) and Maryland (8.2% fewer foals).