Category: The Jockey Club

The Jockey Club Releases 2018 Breeding Statistics

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The Jockey Club today reported that 1,630 stallions covered 32,508 mares in North America during 2018, according to statistics compiled through Sept. 26, 2019. These breedings have resulted in 20,363 live foals of 2019 being reported to The Jockey Club on Live Foal Reports.

The Jockey Club estimates that the number of live foals reported so far is approximately 90 percent complete. The reporting of live foals of 2019 is down 3.6 percent from last year at this time when The Jockey Club had received reports for 21,130 live foals of 2018.

In addition to the 20,363 live foals of 2019 reported through Sept. 26, The Jockey Club also received 2,405 No Foal Reports for the 2019 foaling season. Ultimately, the 2019 registered foal crop is projected to reach 20,800.

The number of stallions declined 8.3 percent from the 1,778 reported for 2017 at this time last year, while the number of mares bred declined 5.2 percent from the 34,288 reported for 2017.

The 2018 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 53.7 percent of the mares reported bred in North America in 2018 and 59.9 percent of the live foals reported for 2019.

The 17,446 mares reported bred to 241 Kentucky stallions in 2018 have produced 12,200 live foals, a 1.4 percent decrease on the 12,370 Kentucky-sired live foals of 2018 reported at this time last year. The number of mares reported bred to Kentucky stallions in 2018 increased 0.3 percent compared to the 17,401 reported for 2017 at this time last year.

Among the 10 states and provinces with the most mares covered in 2018, three produced more live foals in 2019 than in 2018 as reported at this time last year: California, Louisiana, and Maryland. The following table shows the top 10 states and provinces ranked by number of state/province-sired live foals of 2019 reported through Sept. 26, 2019.

2018 Mares Bred 2018 Live Foals 2019 Live Foals Percent Change in Live Foals
Kentucky 17,446 12,370 12,200 -1.4%
California 2,546 1,577 1,612 2.2%
Florida 2,057 1,217 1,164 -4.4%
Louisiana 1,207 713 728 2.1%
New York 1,122 777 703 -9.5%
Maryland 877 483 537 11.2%
Ontario 730 495 377 -23.8%
Pennsylvania 680 373 339 -9.1%
New Mexico 678 372 307 -17.5%
Oklahoma 646 329 289 -12.2%

The statistics include 303 progeny 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
Saudi Arabia 107 Russia 9
Republic of Korea 57 India 8
Ireland 27 Australia 6
Japan 22 Argentina 6
Great Britain 15 Panama 5
Philippines 15 Barbados 4
France 12 Peru 1
Mexico 9

The report also includes 86 mares bred to 14 stallions in North America on Southern Hemisphere time; the majority of these mares have not foaled.

As customary, a report listing the number of mares bred in 2019 will be released later this month.

The Jockey Club Considers Rule Regarding Breeding Stallions

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The Jockey Club board of stewards, concerned with the narrowing of the diversity of the Thoroughbred gene pool, today announced its consideration of a rule to limit the annual breeding of individual stallions starting with the 2021 breeding season.

The Jockey Club, established in 1894, is the keeper of the American Stud Book and maintains the Principal Rules and Requirements of the American Studbook in order to ensure the welfare of the Thoroughbred breed.

As has been widely reported, the size of the North American foal crop has diminished significantly, from 37,499 in 2007 to the 20,500 estimated for 2020.

In 2007, 37 stallions reported in excess of 140 mares bred each from a total of 3,865 stallions. By 2010, that number had declined to 24. Since then, the number has nearly doubled to 43 stallions reporting 140 or more mares bred from a population of stallions that now stands at less than one-half that of 2007.

On the mare side, in 2007, 5,894 mares (9.5% of the total) were bred by stallions that covered more than 140 mares. By 2019, 7,415 mares (27% of the total) were covered by stallions with books of more than 140, a threefold increase.

The combination of these changes has resulted in a substantial increase in the percentage of foals produced by a discreet segment of stallions — signaling a worrisome concentration of the gene pool.

The board of stewards of The Jockey Club is considering a cap of 140 mares bred per individual stallion per calendar year in North America, phased-in, as follows:

  • Stallions entering stud service for the first time in 2020 would be exempt from the 140 limit through the 2023 season
  • Stallions that entered stud service in 2019 would be exempt through the 2022 season
  • Stallions that entered stud service in 2018 would be exempt through the 2021 season
  • Stallions that entered service in 2017 or prior would be subject to the 140 cap as of January 1, 2021

The stewards will continue to study the decreasing diversity of the Thoroughbred gene pool and its cause and potential effects over the course of time. As more data and analyses become available, the stewards may revise The Jockey Club’s approach to protecting the breed’s health and welfare.

The Jockey Club solicits and welcomes comments on the proposed rule from breeders, owners, and others with interests in the Thoroughbred breed and the industry. Contact The Jockey Club at jockeyclub.com.

OwnerView Accepting Nominations for “New Owner of the Year” Award

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OwnerView today announced that it is accepting nominations for the 2019 New Owner of the Year Award, presented by Fasig-Tipton, which will honor a new Thoroughbred owner who has been successful in the sport and had a positive impact on the industry.

The deadline for nominations is September 30, 2019. The award will be presented at the Thoroughbred Owner Conference at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., scheduled to be held October 28 through October 30, 2019, in the week leading up to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Nominees for the New Owner of the Year Award must have made their first start as a Thoroughbred owner in the past four years, had an ownership stake in a horse at the time it won a stakes race in the past 12 months, and had a verifiable owner license in 2019.

Anyone, including current owners, can nominate an owner who meets the criteria for the award. Thoroughbred performance as well as a nominee’s promotion of the sport will be considered. A selection committee that includes industry personnel and established owners will choose the winner.

Past recipients of the New Owner of the Year Award include Sol Kumin, LNJ Foxwoods, Charles and Susan Chu, and the Churchill Downs Racing Club.

“The annual Thoroughbred Owner Conference celebrates Thoroughbred ownership, so it is the perfect venue to present the New Owner of the Year Award,” said Gary Falter, project manager for OwnerView.

To submit a nomination, please contact Gary Falter for a nomination form at (859) 224-2803 or gfalter@jockeyclub.com.

More information about the Thoroughbred Owner Conference, including online registration, can be found at ownerview.com.

OwnerView is a joint effort spearheaded by The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to encourage ownership of Thoroughbreds and provide accurate information on trainers, public racing syndicates, the process of purchasing and owning a Thoroughbred, racehorse retirement, and owner licensing.

Formed in 1898, Fasig-Tipton is North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction house. With headquarters in Lexington, Ky., the company conducts 14 sales annually in California, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, and New York.

Reports of Mares Bred Due at The Jockey Club by August 1

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Monday, July 22, 2019 Contact: Alexa Ravit (212) 521-5307
Reports of Mares Bred Due at The Jockey Club by August 1
The Jockey Club reminds stallion managers to submit their Reports of Mares Bred (RMBs) for the 2019 breeding season by August 1.

“To ensure that the breeding statistics we release in the fall are as accurate as possible, we request that RMBs be submitted by August 1,” said Matt Iuliano, executive vice president and executive director of The Jockey Club.

In addition, stallion managers who submit completed RMBs by August 1 are among the first to receive their Stallion Service Certificates, which facilitates the timely registration of 2020 foals.

Reports of Mares Bred may be submitted via Interactive Registration at registry.jockeyclub.com or a form is available by email, fax, or mail by contacting inquiries@jockeyclub.com.

CHRI Blankets Capitol Hill Pushing Support for the Horseracing Integrity Act

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Members of the Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity (CHRI) blanketed Capitol Hill today seeking support for the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019 (HIA). Individual members are meeting with senators to educate them on HIA, which was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Martha McSally (R-AZ). The Senate bill is the companion legislation to the House bill, which was introduced earlier this year by Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY).

“The Horseracing Integrity Act is gaining momentum with the introduction of the Senate bill, and prominent members of the horse racing industry have flown in from all over the country to help educate senators and members about the need for reform,” said Shawn Smeallie, executive director of CHRI. “We’ve already had 127 members of the House co-sponsor the bill, and we’re confident that a majority of senators will get on board as well.”

The HIA would create a private, independent horse racing anti-doping authority responsible for developing and administering a nationwide anti-doping and medication control program. The program would be administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the body responsible for administering anti-doping programs for human athletes, including the U.S. Olympic teams.

“The bill doesn’t create a new ‘Department of Horse Racing,’ but rather sets up an independent board with broad representation from the industry,” continued Smeallie. “We are currently operating under a patchwork quilt of state regulations with little consistency across jurisdictions. Inconsistent rules mean that the health of horses suffers, with injuries and deaths that could have been prevented.”

The new set of rules, testing procedures, and penalties would replace the current makeshift regulatory system that governs horse racing’s 38 jurisdictions. Passage of this bill will result in a substantial increase in out-of-competition testing, which will help ensure horses are free from performance-enhancing drugs during racing and training.

In a recent research paper, the group in charge of the industry’s breed registry, The Jockey Club, wrote that “improper drug use can directly lead to horse injuries and deaths. Horses aren’t human, and the only way they can tell us something is wrong is by reacting to a symptom. If that symptom is masked, the results can be devastating… we lag behind cheaters and abusers and by the time we have caught up they have moved on to the next designer substance.”

Further information:

Jockey Club Calls for Dramatic Industry Changes

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A 23rd horse died at Santa Anita Park only three days after racing resumed; it is the 23rd horse fatality in the past three months.

The string of deaths at Santa Anita isn’t the first spike in fatalities at a U.S. racetrack — these tragic events have happened before at other tracks and they will continue to occur without significant reform to the horse racing industry. The issue isn’t about a single track; horse fatalities are a nationwide problem that needs to be addressed on an industrywide basis.

There has been tremendous focus on the track surface, but the core of the problem lies in a fundamentally flawed system that falls far short of international horse racing standards — standards that better protect horses and result in far fewer injuries and deaths.

Chief among the principles that make up the standards of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) are those guiding the development of an effective anti-doping program and the regulation of the use of performance-enhancing drugs and drugs that can mask injuries, both of which can result in injuries and deaths. Under IFHA policies, commonly used therapeutic medications capable of masking pain and other symptoms of discomfort must be withdrawn days or even weeks prior to the race as compared to hours before the race in the U.S. IFHA policies also encourage rest to recover from injuries as opposed to policies here that facilitate treatment so training can continue, imperiling both horse and rider.

It’s time we joined the rest of the world in putting in place the best measures to protect the health and safety of our equine athletes and that can be done only with comprehensive reform. Reform that includes creation of an independent central rule-making authority, full transparency into all medical treatments and procedures, comprehensive drug reform, and strict anti-doping testing both in an out of competition.

On March 28, 2019, The Jockey Club published a major white paper — Vision 2025, To Prosper, Horse Racing Needs Comprehensive Reform — outlining the need for reforms and specific recommendations, including passage of H.R. 1754, the Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019.

The Jockey Club, founded in 1894 and dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, is the breed registry for North American Thoroughbreds. In fulfillment of its mission, The Jockey Club, directly or through subsidiaries, provides support and leadership on a wide range of important industry initiatives, and it serves the information and technology needs of owners, breeders, media, fans and farms. It is the sole funding source for America’s Best Racing, the broad-based fan development initiative for Thoroughbred racing. You can follow America’s Best Racing at americasbestracing.net. Additional information is available at jockeyclub.com.

 

The Jockey Club Calls for Dramatic Reforms to Protect Racehorses

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Thursday, March 28, 2019
The Jockey Club today released a major white paper calling for comprehensive reform of the U.S. horse racing industry including a major overhaul of drug use and uniform out-of-competition drug testing, citing the need for “transparency into the medical treatment, injuries, and health of all racehorses.”

The paper’s release follows the death of 22 racehorses at California’s Santa Anita Park in less than three months. The Jockey Club wrote that “it would be a mistake to view the Santa Anita fatalities as an isolated situation — spikes in the deaths of horses have occurred at other tracks and they will continue to occur without significant reforms.”

The Jockey Club was particularly critical of drug use in the horse racing industry saying that “improper drug use can directly lead to horse injuries and deaths. Horses aren’t human and the only way they can tell us if something is wrong is by reacting to a symptom. If that symptom is masked, the results can be devastating.” And that “we lag behind cheaters and abusers and by the time we have caught up they have moved on to the next designer substance.”

The Jockey Club expressed its strong support for federal legislation citing the Horse Racing Integrity Act of 2019, H.R. 1754, which would create a private, independent, horse racing anti-doping authority responsible for developing and administering a nationwide anti-doping and medication control program. The program would be administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, the body responsible for administering anti-doping programs for human athletes including the U.S. Olympic teams.

“For far too long, cheaters have been abusing the system and the horses are most often the ones to suffer,” said James L. Gagliano, president and chief operating officer of The Jockey Club. “It is particularly disturbing that there is little out-of-competition drug testing in the United States. U.S. horse racing lags far behind international standards. It’s time we joined the rest of the world in putting in place the best measures to protect the health and safety of our equine athletes.”

In addition to reforming how drugs are used and monitored, The Jockey Club is calling for other reforms targeted at health of equine athletes, including:

  • Enhanced Race Surface Analysis
  • Reporting of all Injuries During Racing and Training
  • More Comprehensive Pre-race Veterinarian Examination
  • Use of Approved Medications Only
  • Confirmed Fitness to Train
  • Industrywide Contributions to Aftercare

“Will we ever know the exact cause of spikes in horse fatalities? Unless there is change in the industry that answer is, sadly, probably not,” wrote The Jockey Club. “A key to this change is the requirement of full transparency into the medical treatment, injuries, and health of all racehorses. Today, we can’t fully see what is going on with a horse because of differing state and track practices, antiquated practices, and purposeful deceit about what drugs are given to horses at what times.”

The Jockey Club is the breed registry for Thoroughbreds in North America. Since its founding 125 years ago, it has been dedicated to the improvement of Thoroughbred breeding and racing, focusing on improvements to the integrity, health, and safety of the sport. The Jockey Club has long held that horses must only race when they are free from the effects of medication.

Download the report: Vision 2025 – To Prosper, Horse Racing Needs Comprehensive Reform. For additional information, please visit The Jockey Club or the Coalition for Horse Racing Integrity.

MAKE YOUR PLANS! LTBA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet, Sunday, March 31

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Celebrate
Louisiana Bred Thoroughbreds
at the
LTBA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet
Sunday, March 31st

Dear LTBA Member:

You are cordially invited to attend our 2019 Annual Membership Meeting, at Equine Sales Company of Louisiana, in Opelousas, LA on Sunday March 31, 2019. Doors will open at 2:30 pm.

Awards will be presented to the breeders and owners of the outstanding accredited Louisiana Bred Horses of 2018 as well as the overall Horse of the Year. From 3:00 pm till 7:00pm  Equine Sales Company Sale Arena will be the site as awards will be presented to the owner of the leading Stallion, the owner of the Broodmare of the Year, the Leading Breeder of 2018, as well as the High Percentage Breeder of the Year. See the attached sheet of this year’s champions.

As a special treat, this year we will have someone from The Jockey Club on hand to explain and to answer the many questions on the “Paperless” registration process. This is a big change for everyone, so expect to learn something.

Our program will also include live entertainment. As we combine the 2yo in training sale with our awards banquet we expect a large crowd as well as fun for everyone.

Sincerely,
Roger A. Heitzmann III
Secretary / Treasurer

 

What:       LTBA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet
When:      Sunday, March 31st, 3:00 p.m.
Where:     Equine Sales Facility,
372 Harry Guilbeau Road   Opelousas, Louisiana  70570

 
Any questions or need more info call

Roger A. Heitzmann III, Secretary/Treasurer

Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association

504-947-4676, 800-772-1195

Jockey Club Discontinues Experimental Free Handicap for 2019

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Because of waning relevance and interest, for 2019 The Jockey Club ceased publishing its Top 2-Year-Old Rankings.

First published in 1933 as the Experimental Free Handicap, the hypothetical ranking of 2-year-olds at a distance of 1 1/16 miles was a variation of England’s Free Handicap ranking. Seven of the 13 Triple Crown winners were the highest ranked in the Experimental Free Handicap. The most recent winner of the Triple Crown, Justify in 2018, was unraced as a juvenile.