2023 Foal Crop on Pace for Continued Decline
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
The Jockey Club reported Oct. 18 that 1,248 stallions covered 28,548 mares in North America during 2022, according to statistics compiled through Oct. 8. These breedings have resulted in 18,143 live foals of 2023 being reported to The Jockey Club on Live Foal Reports.
The Jockey Club estimates that the number of live foals reported so far is 85-90% complete. The reporting of live foals of 2023 is down 2.5% from last year at this time when The Jockey Club had received reports for 18,609 live foals of 2022.
In addition to the 18,143 live foals of 2023 reported through Oct. 8, The Jockey Club also received 2,018 No Foal Reports for the 2023 foaling season. Ultimately, the 2023 registered foal crop is projected to reach 18,500.
The number of stallions declined 4.2% from the 1,303 reported for 2021 at this time last year, while the number of mares bred declined 1.8% from the 29,065 reported for 2021.
The 2023 breeding statistics are available alphabetically by stallion name through the Resources—Fact Book link on The Jockey Club homepage at jockeyclub.com.
Kentucky annually leads all states and provinces in terms of Thoroughbred breeding activity. Kentucky-based stallions accounted for 58.9% of the mares reported bred in North America in 2022 and 63.7% of the live foals reported for 2023.
The 16,827 mares reported bred to 208 Kentucky stallions in 2022 have produced 11,564 live foals, a 0.9% increase on the 11,460 Kentucky-sired live foals of 2022 reported at this time last year. The number of mares reported bred to Kentucky stallions in 2022 increased 0.2% compared to the 16,796 reported for 2021 at this time last year.
Among the 10 states and provinces with the most mares covered in 2022, four produced more live foals in 2023 than in 2022 as reported at this time last year: Kentucky, New York, Maryland, and Indiana.
The following table shows those 10 states and provinces with the most mares covered in 2022, sorted by the number of state/province-sired live foals of 2023 reported through Oct. 8.
| 2022 Mares Bred | 2022 Live Foals | 2023 Live Foals | Percent Change in Live Foals | |
| Kentucky | 16,827 | 11,460 | 11,564 | 0.90% |
| California | 1,867 | 1,303 | 1,138 | -12.70% |
| Florida | 1,529 | 927 | 829 | -10.60% |
| New York | 987 | 576 | 590 | 2.40% |
| Louisiana | 924 | 570 | 564 | -1.10% |
| Maryland | 744 | 481 | 498 | 3.50% |
| Ontario | 587 | 402 | 301 | -25.10% |
| Pennsylvania | 448 | 340 | 250 | -26.50% |
| Indiana | 558 | 231 | 243 | 5.20% |
| Oklahoma | 481 | 293 | 220 | -24.90% |
The statistics include 227 progeny, 46 more than in 2022, of stallions standing in North America but foaled abroad, as reported by foreign stud book authorities at the time of publication.
| Country | Live Foals | Country | Live Foals |
| Australia | 2 | Republic of Korea | 49 |
| Dominican Republic | 2 | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 71 |
| France | 3 | Mexico | 7 |
| Great Britain | 8 | Panama | 14 |
| Ireland | 26 | Philippines | 12 |
| Japan | 32 | Sweden | 1 |
The report also includes 67 mares bred to 23 stallions in North America on Southern Hemisphere time; the majority of these mares have not foaled. In 2021, there were 50 mares bred to 19 stallions in North America on Southern Hemisphere time.
As customary, a report listing the number of mares bred in 2023 will be released later this month.