The Jockey Club releases the 2026 Mare Incentive Program list of 22,243 mares, waiving foal registration fees to bring idle broodmares back into production.
There are thousands of Thoroughbred mares sitting quietly in fields right now, unraced, unregistered for foaling, and largely overlooked by the breeding market. Some are too old to be fashionable. Some simply fell off the radar between one season and the next. But many of them carry bloodlines worth preserving and the athletic potential to produce something special.
The Jockey Club Mare Incentive Program 2026 was built precisely for those mares, and this week, the new list went live. For breeders who know how to look, 22,243 mares just became a lot more interesting.
What the Mare Incentive Program Actually Does
The mechanics are straightforward, and that’s part of the appeal. The program waives registration fees for certain 2027 foals born to eligible mares, which directly reduces one of the friction points that keeps idle broodmares out of production. Less cost at the foaling end means more reason to take a chance on a mare that might otherwise stay pasture-bound for another year.
The 2025 pilot program validated the concept quickly. The list was searched more than 3,100 times, and 228 mares were bred as part of the program. For a first-year pilot, those are meaningful numbers. Breeders were clearly paying attention, scanning the database and making decisions based on what they found.
“We were pleased to see how many searches were performed and how many mares were brought back into production,” said James L. Gagliano, president and COO of The Jockey Club. “The feedback has been extremely positive, and we look forward to seeing how many more mares are brought back next year.”
Who Qualifies for the 2026 List
The program divides eligible mares into two age groups, each with specific criteria. For mares aged 6 to 9 as of January 1, 2026, the requirements include being a registered Thoroughbred with a name on file with The Jockey Club, no race starts in 2024 or 2025, no reported foal in the past two years, no reported cover by a stallion in the past two years, no export from the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico as the last movement of record, and not reported deceased.
For mares aged 10 to 19, all of the above applies with one additional requirement: the mare must have produced a registered foal in 2022 and/or 2023. That detail is worth pausing on. The older age bracket isn’t wide open to every dormant mare. It targets those with a proven production history, mares that delivered a foal recently enough to suggest they can do it again.
The 2026 list includes 22,243 mares, down slightly from 23,090 in 2025. A smaller list can actually be a feature rather than a flaw. It means the program’s tighter criteria are doing their job, directing attention toward mares most likely to produce viable, registerable foals. Think of it like a well-curated wine list versus an encyclopedia of bottles. Less scrolling, more finding. [Insert Internal Link to DailyOvation coverage of Thoroughbred breeding and equestrian lifestyle]
Why the Industry Is Paying Attention
David O’Farrell, owner and manager of Ocala Stud, one of Florida’s most respected breeding and sales operations, offered a real-world endorsement that carries weight. “This is such a fantastic tool for breeders,” he said. “We saw a few very nice mares that were part of the program this year, and we hope to see more from the 2026 list.”
Ocala Stud isn’t a sentimental operation. When a manager there calls something fantastic, they mean it generates value. The fact that nice mares are turning up in the program confirms the list isn’t just populated with low-end inventory. Quality bloodlines are slipping through the cracks of the breeding market every year, and this program is catching some of them.
The report is available to anyone with an IR account through The Jockey Club’s registry portal and is filterable by 12 data elements including sire, dam sire, age, money earned, and class of race achieved. You can also search by mare name directly. For breeders working the Keeneland breeding stock sales, the January Fasig-Tipton catalog, or simply managing their own small band of mares in Kentucky or California, that kind of searchability is genuinely useful. According to The Jockey Club’s official breeding resources, the full database is accessible at registry.jockeyclub.com.
It’s the kind of tool that rewards the detail-oriented breeder who doesn’t mind doing a bit of homework on a Saturday morning with a good cup of coffee and a spreadsheet open. Which, let’s be honest, describes most serious horsemen perfectly.
FAQ: Jockey Club Mare Incentive Program 2026
Q: What is the Jockey Club Mare Incentive Program? A: It’s a program that waives registration fees for eligible 2027 foals born to qualifying mares that have been idle or out of production, encouraging breeders to bring those mares back into active breeding.
Q: How do I access the 2026 list of eligible mares? A: The list is available through an IR account at registry.jockeyclub.com. It’s searchable by mare name and filterable by sire, dam sire, age, earnings, and class of race achieved.
Q: How successful was the 2025 pilot program? A: The 2025 list was searched more than 3,100 times, and 228 mares were bred through the program, which The Jockey Club described as a strong and encouraging first-year result.
Don’t Let a Good Mare Sit Idle
The 2026 Mare Incentive Program is one of the more practical tools the industry has produced in recent years. It meets breeders where they are, reduces a real cost barrier, and points attention toward horses that deserve another look.
If you’re a breeder, a pinhooker, or simply someone who follows the bloodstock market closely, the list at registry.jockeyclub.com is worth an hour of your time. The next stakes winner might already be on it.
