==The Jockey Club--Dedicated to the Improvement of Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing Since 1894

The following statistics demonstrate the overall strength of racing and breeding in the United States in comparison with other countries. Among countries that reported 2008 figures to the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, the U.S. is the world leader in terms of mares and foals registered, as well as races run, starters, and starts. The U.S. trails only Japan in purses, and Japan and Great Britain in the amount of money wagered on racing annually.

COUNTRY	RACES	PURSES‡	BETTING HANDLE‡	MARES	REG. FOALS	STARTS	STARTERS
Argentina	5,754	63.59	192.23	12,271	8,154	53,166	10,338
Australia	17,211	295.30	8,680.81	29,075	17,827	173,541	29,972
Austria	62	0.68	***	64	31	541	207
Bahrain	165	0.80	†	112	54	1,536	308
Belgium	172	3.52	***	63	35	1,555	446
Brazil	4,564	15.25	127.73	3,854	2,924	33,785	5,293
Bulgaria	14	***	***	107	57	***	120
Canada	4,950	127.22	488.57	3,309	2,550	39,487	7,464
Croatia	35	0.11	***	94	25	162	81
Cyprus	1,057	14.55	163.79	824	280	10,478	1,492
Czech Republic	350	2.73	2.03	530	309	***	1,598
Denmark	200	2.91	***	251	188	4,032	668
France	6,854	335.63	13,181.89	8,775	5,420	75,891	14,624
Germany	1,573	25.71	166.82	2,092	1,245	14,188	2,772
Great Britain	9,494	157.69	15,419.53	10,740	5,987	98,014	20,366
Greece	1,196	21.81	413.31	236	155	10,537	1,193
Hong Kong	735	98.46	8,520.89	***	***	9,188	1,233
Hungary	331	1.10	4.96	258	152	2,780	497
India	2,578	18.92	356.57	2,971	1,696	23,591	3,644
Ireland	2,454	84.44	5,438.29	20,038	12,419	34,592	9,041
Italy	4,305	79.68	3,167.96	2,100	1,684	36,598	6,308
Japan	17,744	1,220.08	34,389.73	10,234	7,343	187,452	24,733
Lebanon	348	0.74	9.49	5	0	1,985	348
Lithuania	44	0.04	***	23	2	163	29
Macau	636	23.43	396.96	0	0	7,454	671
Madagascar	90	0.08	6.11	10	7	***	52
Malaysia	725	11.47	344.20	88	50	8,588	1,280
Mauritius	256	3.50	147.81	0	0	2,272	386
Mexico	1,411	***	***	672	446	12,094	1,600
Morocco	462	3.16	458.16	476	115	3,932	557
Netherlands	87	0.38	44.24	20	23	672	185
New Zealand	3,099	36.97	277.34	8,048	4,126	32,374	5,866
Norway	280	3.89	527.06	62	40	2,670	565
Panama	***	***	***	420	160	***	***
Peru	1,941	4.00	23.75	796	560	15,876	1,391
Poland	521	1.81	3.38	789	441	4,148	809
Qatar	359	10.81	†	60	32	3,000	500
Russia	842	***	1.56	1,450	481	5,052	2,148
Saudi Arabia	493	8.59	†	1,740	877	7,385	1,613
Singapore	752	40.90	1,466.57	***	***	8,379	1,165
Slovakia	153	1.01	0.22	190	86	1,271	466
South Africa	3,806	31.25	959.59	4,230	***	41,790	6,725
South Korea	1,859	102.21	5,612.94	2,193	1,368	20,494	3,067
Sweden	649	9.21	1,517.33	384	330	6,067	1,324
Switzerland	222	***	***	54	35	2,231	458
Tunisia	360	2.50	***	62	38	3,450	580
Turkey	4,147	141.99	1,367.67	3,549	1,400	41,833	4,714
United Arab Emirates	308	36.99	†	2	2	3,599	1,044
United States	50,119	1,165.11	13,647.93	51,853	33,550	410,608	67,061
Uruguay	1,043	5.03	20.33	3,236	2,100	9,474	1,826
Venezuela	3,032	25.73	***	2,224	1,222	25,794	2,926
Total	159,842	4,240.98	117,547.75	190,634	114,804	1,467,975	251,754

Notes: In some cases, Betting Handle includes harness racing.

Wagering statistics include bookmaking in countries where such activities are legal.

US $ conversions of the Euro at 1.00 Euro = US $1.3927

* Estimated figures

*** Not reported

† No wagering

‡ Dollars in millions

Source: International Statistical Survey of Horse Racing and 2008 Statistics, compiled by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities and presented at the 43^rd International Conference of Racing Authorities, Paris, France, October 5, 2009.

Previous years' statistics are available by country at www.ifhaonline.org