North American Foal Crop Projected to Drop 6.3% in 2021

The Jockey Club reported Sept. 9 it is projecting a 2021 North American registered Thoroughbred foal crop of 19,200, a drop of 6.3% from this year's foal crop estimate and a level the breeding industry has not seen since the mid-1960s. The estimation for the 2020 foal crop remains at 20,500.

The foal crop projection, traditionally announced in mid-August, is computed by using Reports of Mares Bred received to date for the 2020 breeding season. RMBs are to be filed by Aug. 1 of each breeding season.

"The Jockey Club delayed publication of the estimation of the 2021 foal crop to provide stud farms that may have been affected by COVID-19 additional time to submit their RMBs," said Matt Iuliano, The Jockey Club's executive vice president and executive director.

The combined foal crop for the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico has been on a downward slide since 2007, though the rate of decline accelerated in the aftermath of the Great Recession that shook financial institutions worldwide beginning in the fall of 2008. The North American foal crop in 2008 was 35,274, according to The Jockey Club's online Fact Book.

The U.S. foal crop generally has represented 92% of the North American foal crop, which puts the estimate for the 2021 U.S. crop at around 17,660. The North American foal crop has not been at this level since 1965 when 18,846 foals were reported.

Stallion owners who have not returned their RMBs for the 2020 breeding season are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Interactive Registration, which enables registered users to perform virtually all registration-related activities over the internet, is the most efficient means of submitting RMBs and is available at registry.jockeyclub.com.