TRENDS IN US RACES, PURSES AND FOAL CROPS

Growth of the Thoroughbred industry as a whole depends on a balance between its racing and breeding sectors. Gross purses have increased 38.7% from 1997 to 2007, accompanied by marginal increases in the registered foal crop and a moderate decline in the number of races run. Accordingly, the average purse money available per race and per starter has increased 56.3% and 32.1%, respectively, during the same time period.

Relationship of US Races, Purses and Foal Crops

YEAR TOTAL
US
FOAL CROP 		TOTAL
US RACES 		TOTAL
US PURSES 		TOTAL US
STARTERS 		AVG. PURSE
PER STARTER 		AVG.
 PURSE
PER
 RACE
1988 45,245 71,014 676,797,744 83,021   8,152   9,530
1989 44,250 74,071 706,940,245 83,893   8,427   9,544
1990 40,333 72,664 714,480,213 82,314   8,680   9,833
1991 38,150 71,689 698,654,071 80,238   8,707   9,746
1992 35,051 70,393 709,565,534 76,943   9,222 10,080
1993 33,820 65,354 692,123,219 72,567   9,538 10,590
1994 32,118 64,118 718,439,110 69,583 10,325 11,205
1995 31,884 61,996 761,582,751 67,021 11,363 12,290
1996 32,243 58,259 792,704,873 65,108 12,175 13,607
1997 32,117 57,832 851,462,820 64,099 13,284 14,723
1998 32,947 55,894 904,014,631 63,798 14,170 16,174
1999 33,843 54,644 962,853,553 63,547 15,152 17,620
2000 34,724 55,486 1,030,879,290 64,443 15,997 18,579
2001 34,720 55,127 1,067,490,193 65,829 16,216 19,364
2002 32,984 54,304 1,074,247,738
67,009
 16,031 19,782
2003 33,962 53,503 1,055,496,849 68,249 15,465 19,728
2004 34,760 53,595 1,092,085,465 68,569 15,927 20,377
2005 34,891 52,257 1,085,005,415 66,903 16,218 20,763
2006 34,200* 51,668 1,120,350,012 66,733 16,789 21,684
2007 34,350* 51,304 1,180,587,881 67,261 17,552 23,012

* Estimated figures