2-YEAR-OLD RACING (US AND CANADA)

Races for 2-year-olds are traditional in Thoroughbred racing throughout the world. While modern 2-year-olds run less frequently than ever before — little more than three times on average — the number of races for 2-year-olds has increased each of the last three years and accounted for 8.0% of all races run in the U.S. and Canada in 2007. Less than one-third of the registered foal crop of 2005 started at age 2, while the average purse per 2-year-old race in 2007 reached $33,832.

2-Year-Old Racing

YEAR

2YO
STARTERS 		2YO
STARTS

   2YO
AVG. # OF
STARTS

ALL
STARTERS 		% 2YO'S/ALL
STARTERS 		2YO
RACES 		ALL RACES % 2YO'S/ALL
RACES		 2YO 
PURSES

1988

 14,976 59,988 4.0 90,486 16.6 6,410 78,270 8.2 86,762,000
1989 14,907 57,956 3.9 91,436 16.3 6,280 81,400 7.7 87,680,400
1990 14,685 57,538 3.9 89,716 16.4 6,189 79,971 7.7 90,028,524
1991 14,631 58,305 4.0 86,937 16.8 6,361 79,303 8.0 89,021,900
1992 13,561 55,020 4.1 83,404 16.3 6,167 77,712 7.9 89,672,800
1993 12,471 47,562 3.9 78,740 15.9 5,362 72,342 7.4 81,970,300
1994 11,838 45,066 3.8 74,955 15.8 5,275 70,699 7.5 83,261,500
1995 11,415 42,517 3.7 72,399 15.7 4,963 68,245 7.3 91,472,723
1996 10,977 40,757 3.7 70,450 15.6 4,750 64,388 7.4 96,372,058
1997 10,906 39,573 3.6 69,056 15.8 4,701 63,487 7.4 101,129,962
1998 11,056 39,588 3.6 68,697 16.1 4,639 61,293 7.6 106,820,755
1999 10,936 38,603 3.5 68,678 15.9 4,554 60,182 7.6 116,157,359
2000 11,292 39,745 3.5 69,569 16.2 4,743 60,872 7.8 126,795,123
2001 11,519 40,119 3.5 71,278 16.2 4,731 60,738 7.8 128,371,786
2002 11,964 40,827 3.4 72,825 16.4 4,791 59,896 8.0 131,477,440
2003 11,559 38,360 3.3 73,918 15.6 4,514 59,001 7.7 130,872,472
2004 10,843 35,797 3.3 74,206 14.6 4,313 58,858 7.3 129,568,288
2005 11,197 36,236 3.2 72,780 15.4 4,362 57,495 7.6 131,617,475
2006 11,695 37,468 3.2 72,729 16.1 4,465 56,902 7.8 142,582,763
2007 11,673 37,744 3.2 72,966 16.0 4,496 56,361 8.0 152,108,606


Figures include US and Canada only

Source: Equibase Company LLC