"Breed To Race": A Way To Stem Foal-Crop Declines?

Prospect Watch: First foal of Venetian Harbor debuts for Cox

This week's Prospect Watch showcases young horses with elite bloodlines making their racing debuts and early career starts. From Grade 1-winning dam connections such as Rutherienne and As Time Goes By to horses carrying the bloodlines of champions such as Life Is Good and Kopion, this week's selections put some of the best pedigrees in the game in the spotlight. The lineup includes both promising first-time starters and lightly raced prospects s…

"Breed To Race": A Way To Stem Foal-Crop Declines?

It's the trendline industry eggheads are tracking with dread: a foal crop that has dropped nearly 60% from 1990, with wave-sized ripple effects. The number of races in the country has fallen a comparable amount over the same period. Some estimates have put the number of shuttered racetracks at about 50 since 2000. Nor is the U.S. alone. Over in the United Kingdom, modeling by the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association projects the foal crop to fall …