Month: January 2017

New Protocols, More Tests: Fair Grounds EHV-1 Outbreak ‘At Least A 45-Day Process’

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As the first group of barns at the Fair Grounds Race Course near the end of their state-mandated equine herpesvirus quarantines, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture has been working to define the procedures which will allow those barns to be released from quarantine. Following a meeting earlier in the week between horsemen, USDA representatives, veterinarians, and outside advisors, those protocols have nearly been finalized.

According to assistant state veterinarian Dr. Dianne Stacey, any barn that has held a horse which tested positive for EHV-1, whether it be the wild strain or the neurogenic strain, is automatically quarantined for a period of 14 days. The horse which demonstrated the positive test is placed in isolated quarantine for 21 days; those with the wild strain are kept separate from those with the neurogenic strain.

In order to get out of quarantine, all the horses in the affected barn have to demonstrate two negative EHV-1 tests, spaced at least 72 hours apart, as well as undergo final checks by state veterinarians.

As of Thursday evening, there were a total of 10 horses on the Fair Grounds premises that had tested positive for EHV-1 (two for the neurogenic strain, the others for the wild strain), and six barns were under quarantine (14, 36, 47, 4, 30, and the receiving barn). Also on Thursday evening, the Department of Agriculture updated the Fair Grounds’ voluntary quarantine of the entire backside to a mandatory one, meaning that still no horses are allowed to enter or exit the facility.

The state began the first round of tests on Thursday afternoon, beginning with the first three barns to have entered quarantine. Should the approximately 50 horses stabled in each of those barns all test negative for EHV-1, they would have to again test negative in 72 hours in order to be released from quarantine. If any of the horses test positive for either strain of EHV-1, the 14-day quarantine begins again.

“The rationale for testing has been to get the known positives out of the barn,” said Stacey. “We were under some logistical constraints with the holidays because of all the labs being shut down, which was why we didn’t initially test. We’ve got a better handle now.

“The horses in the quarantined barns have been temped twice a day, every day, and we’ve removed everything that’s even shown a hint of a fever (above 101.5 degrees). So in a perfect world, they’d all come back negative.”

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the EHV-1 virus and its ability to lie dormant in a horse’s system, it appears unlikely that all 50 horses in each barn will be negative. One study found that four percent of a random sampling of 451 horses were positive for the EHV-1 virus (this study did not indicate whether “positive” meant latency or if the horse was actively shedding the virus).

Another study which looked at the necropsies of 132 broodmares indicated that 54 percent had EHV-1 in their lymph nodes (latent). Of those, 18 percent had the neurogenic strain. Of that 18 percent, close to 90 percent had the wild type as well. It adds confusion because horses can have both strains lying latently in their lymph nodes.

Dr. Nathan Slovis, director of the McGee Medical Center at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, was hired as a consultant on the Fair Grounds outbreak and aided in developing the new protocols. He argues that even though a horse shows no symptoms, the virus’ ability to lie latent may allow the horse to pass it on to its peers. Especially in a racetrack environment, in which horses are constantly in close proximity to one another, the Department of Agriculture has to do its job in order to prevent the virus from spreading.

“When it comes to regulatory agencies, herpes is herpes; it doesn’t matter if it’s wild-type or neurogenic type,” Slovis said. “Everybody keeps thinking ‘oh, wild type, all horses have it, big deal, who cares.’ And the majority of the time, wild type is not a big deal. It may cause abortions and you get some respiratory problems, but it can also cause the neurologic signs.”

The difference between EHV-1 neurogenic and EHV-1 “wild” type viruses is incredibly minute and requires a close look at each’s genetic structure. The wild EHV-1 virus is considered the “normal” version of the virus, without any mutation. In the neurogenic form, a single element of the DNA is mutated; if nucleotide 2254 within the Open Reading Frame-30 gene has a guanine element instead of an adenine, the virus is neuropathic.

According to a study of 48 equine herpesvirus outbreaks over a 35-year period, 83 percent of the symptomatically neurological cases had the mutation, making the virus the neurogenic type. That means that 17 percent of the cases with neurological symptoms had the wild-type strain of the virus.

“It just goes to show you, the regulatory agencies have to take both seriously,” said Slovis. “Even though the majority of the time, the wild-type is going to be more of a nuisance factor, you can’t take that risk at a big place like the Fair Grounds.”

A recent outbreak at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, said Slovis, was an example of a group of horses with the wild type EHV-1 virus, but eight of the 15 positives at that facility demonstrated neurological symptoms, and one was euthanized. That outbreak lasted just over 60 days.

Local horsemen have expressed serious concerns about the protocols required to get out of quarantine. Many trainers in the affected barns operate small or mid-sized strings of horses, and being unable to race for that long would place them in jeopardy of going out of business. Already, the price of each herpes test has fallen on the horses’ owners, and, at $53 apiece, that adds up.

Preliminary results from Thursday’s testing at Barn 14, the origin of the EHV-1 outbreak, indicate 21 more positives for the wild strain of the virus.

“It’s not going to fix itself in 14 days,” Slovis said. “I’m guessing it’s going to be at least a 45-day process, but I don’t expect any catastrophic events.

“Right now in New Orleans, none of those wild-type positive horses are showing neurologic symptoms. Which means they’re just getting an upper respiratory infection, so they get isolated so that more horses don’t get sick. These horses aren’t going to die, they just don’t want sick horses out on the premises so that they can continue racing normally.”

Along with the state-mandated biosecurity protocols implemented in the quarantined barns, the racetrack has begun to work on additional precautions to improve safety for the rest of the barns on the backside. Dr. Stacey said, among other protocols, the track is considering testing the pony horses for EHV-1.

“We had a consultant come in, and we had a risk analysis and a big discussion,” Stacey said. “It was suggested highly that they be tested because these ponies are under contract with different trainers, but then they go back to a common barn. We did do enhanced biosecurity with footbaths, etc., and we’ve been temping those ponies twice a day, but we did see that they were a little bit higher risk than some of the other quarantined barns. I believe that plans are underway to test them.”

Other measures already in place include disinfecting the starting gates between each race, having grooms bring their own buckets for their horses to the test barn, and not having the horse identifier touch the horses’ lips in the paddock (the grooms are now asked to lift the lip in order to show the tattoo).

In the future, Dr. Stacey hopes the Fair Grounds will work with her department in order to open up another barn on the backside to allow horses to ship in for races, which would help to alleviate the small field sizes that have become prevalent since the outbreak began.

“The bottom line is that they’re going to get over this,” Slovis summed up. “You may see a little spike before things calm down, but they’ve got procedures in place, are implementing additional precautions, and they’ll get over this. It’s just a matter of time.”

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Copyright © 2017 Paulick Report.

Fair Grounds EHV-1: 40 Horses Now Positive, Seventh Barn Enters Quarantine

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The Equine Disease Communications Center reports that there are now a total of 40 horses on the Fair Grounds Race Course backside to have tested positive for EHV-1, and that the total number of barns quarantined was increased from six to seven (14, 36, 47, 4, 30, 45, and the receiving barn).

A horse in Barn 45, trained by Andrew McKeever, returned a positive test for the wild type strain, placing Barn 45 under a mandated 14-day quarantine. Also, on Jan. 12, a horse in Barn 20 spiked a temperature of 104 and test results on blood and nasal samples were reported negative for EHV-1; retesting protocols will be followed.

The significant spike in positive tests can be linked to the protocols required for barns nearing the end of their state-mandated 14-day quarantines. Each horse in those barns must test negative for EHV-1 in both blood and nasal samples twice, with the two tests spaced at least 72 hours apart. For more details on those protocols, click here.

The barns tested for future quarantine release were Barn 14, Barn 36, and the Receiving Barn. The results brought back wild-type EHV-1 positives for the following numbers from each barn: Nine (9) horses in Barn 36, nineteen (19) horses in Barn 14 and two (2) horses in the Receiving Barn. It is not yet clear where these latest positives will be quarantined, but all were reported to be asymptomatic at the time of the positive test result, and none had spiked a fever in the previous two weeks.

So far, there are still only two reported positives for the EHV-1 neuropathogenic strain; the other 38 positives are the wild type of the virus.

At this time, Fair Grounds officials are working with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture to secure additional space off property to isolate the horses who have tested positive and are working with the LSRC to further strengthen quarantine protocols and biosecurity measures.

Additionally, the EDCC reported that the Louisiana Department of Agriculture has traced a total of 65 horses that may have been exposed to EHV-1 in the Receiving Barn prior to Jan. 2, and that all of those horses had been isolated and were in the testing process.

The Fair Grounds is under a state-restricted quarantine, and no horses are allowed on or off the premises.

For further updates from Equine Disease Communications Center click here

NTRA Establishes Process for Urging Treasury to Enact Proposed Pari-Mutuel Regs

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The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) today announced that a system has been established at https://www.ntra.com/comment for individuals to submit an e-mail comment directly to the United States Treasury Department in support of newly proposed regulations related to withholding and reporting of pari-mutuel winnings.

The proposed regulations, which would replace outdated regulations adopted nearly 40 years ago, more accurately reflect today’s pari-mutuel wagering environment and will positively impact a significant percentage of winning wagers, particularly those involving multi-horse or multi-race exotic wagers. It is believed that the proposed changes will result in tens of millions of dollars in additional pari-mutuel wagering annually. If adopted, the new regulations will not only  promote greater compliance and more accurate reporting and withholding by taxpayers but also reduce burdensome and needless paperwork system-wide.

Efforts spearheaded by the NTRA on behalf of the industry over the past two and a half years came to fruition on December 30 when Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) published proposed guidelines designed to modernize withholding and reporting regulations. The 31-page Treasury document, “Withholding on Payments of Certain Gambling Winnings,” clarifies the phrase “the amount of the wager” to include the entire amount wagered into a specific pari-mutuel pool by an individual—not just the winning base unit as is the case today.

In the NTRA’s official response to Treasury on behalf of the industry, submitted Wednesday, NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop thanked the Treasury and IRS for recognizing the need to modernize regulations related to the withholding and reporting of pari-mutuel winnings and noted that the newly proposed regulations sufficiently address the industry’s concerns. Waldrop asked the Treasury and IRS to enact the new regulations as quickly as possible following a 90-day comment period that concludes on March 30.

“With horseracing’s all-important Triple Crown season fast approaching, the NTRA urges Treasury and the Service to adopt the proposed regulations as final regulations as soon as it is administratively feasible. Horseplayers, tracks and other industry stakeholders, including governments, are eager to begin reaping the benefits that will result from these updated withholding and reporting rules,” Waldrop said.

The public comment system at NTRA.com/comment provides each commenter with a clear, consistent message asking Treasury to adopt the proposed regulations and urging prompt action.

“A unified message of support is critical as the industry urges Treasury and the IRS to finalize the proposed regulations,” Waldrop added. “We ask all who participate in the horse racing industry to submit a comment to Treasury and the IRS using the NTRA system so that we can send the message loud and clear that all of horse racing supports these changes.”

EHV-1: Restrictions Placed On Louisiana Horses For Upcoming OBS Sale

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Due to the equine herpesvirus outbreak at Fair Grounds, officials with the Ocala Breeders’ Sale Company will not allow any horse that has been in Louisiana since Dec. 10 onto its grounds for the upcoming winter mixed sale scheduled for Jan. 25-26.

The BloodHorse reports that OBS becomes the second sale company to place restrictions on Louisiana horses, following the earlier decision by Keeneland officials for the current January sale.

OBS indicated that entry fees would be refunded for horses forced to withdraw from the sale due to the restrictions.

“OBS appreciates the burden this restriction places on some of our consignors and their owners for this sale, but we feel it is important to take these measures in order to provide as safe a sales environment as possible for both buyers and sellers for the January sale as well as our upcoming sales in March, April, and June,” OBS officials said in a statement published by the BloodHorse.

“Additionally, by joining facilities both in Florida and other states, we hope to assist in preventing the spread of this disease, thereby ending this current outbreak quickly. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

ADDITIONAL EHV-1 POSITIVES AT FAIR GROUNDS

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By BloodHorse Staff

A total of 10 horses have tested positive for equine herpesvirus at Fair Grounds

Three additional horses tested positive for equine herpesvirus Jan. 10 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the Louisiana oval reported the following day. All three were positive for the EHV-1 non-neurogenic type, also called the “wild type” strain.

One horse in Barn 4, trained by Merrill Scherer, returned a positive test after originally returning negative results Jan. 7. Barn 4 has been placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Another horse in Barn 47, trained by Kenneth Hargrave, returned a positive test after originally returning negative results Jan. 7. Barn 47’s 14-day quarantine period has been reset.

A horse in Barn 30, trained by Tim Glyshaw, spiked a fever late Jan. 9 and returned a positive test after having blood pulled Jan. 10. Barn 30 has been placed under a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Fair Grounds has been dealing with the outbreak since Dec. 26, when an unraced 2-year-old filly was euthanized as a result of the infection. Oaklawn Park and the state of Kentucky have placed restrictions upon horses traveling from Louisiana. Keeneland and the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. both required withdrawal of Louisiana-based horses from their respective January sales.

Under the guidance of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and the USDA, Fair Grounds o cials continue to monitor the situation closely and will follow all protocols as directed by those two governing bodies.

Millionaire Louisiana-Bred Sunbean Retired

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Sunbean has been a force to be reckoned with on the Louisiana-bred stakes circuit since he won the Louisiana Futurity in 2012, in just his second career start. Now a 7-year-old, the ever-consistent gelding has officially been retired, reports the Daily Racing Form, due to a recurring tendon injury.

“We wouldn’t take any chance with the horse,” said trainer Ron Faucheux. “He’s still in the barn with us. Once this quarantine (at Fair Grounds) is lifted we’ll probably send him to Clear Creek [farm] and find a good home for him.”

Owned by his breeders Evelyn and Maurice Benoit’s Brittlyn Stable, Sunbean won a total of 16 of his 27 starts for earnings of $1,172,250. He won the Louisiana Champions Day Classic in both 2013 and 2014, and all of his wins came in listed stakes company.

Delta Downs reschedules Azalea and Pelican again

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By Mary Rampellini

Delta Downs in Vinton, La., was scheduled to run the $100,000 Azalea on Friday night and $100,000 Pelican on Saturday night, but will recard the Azalea for Jan. 20 and the Pelican for Jan. 21, said Chris Warren, the track’s director of racing.

Both races are two turn stakes for 3-year-olds bred in Louisiana.

The races, which were originally set to run Jan. 6-7 and then Jan. 13-14, have been postponed twice because of the recent equine herpesvirus cases at neighboring Fair Grounds in New Orleans. Warren said the races would not be moved again.

“The reason we’re moving the races is that we have a ban in place for ship-ins and both races have quite a few,” Warren said Tuesday.

Warren said Delta put its own backstretch on lockdown on the advice of the state veterinarian in an effort to protect its horse population from equine herpesvirus. The track has not had a case of herpes. Delta is not accepting horses from any locale, including area training centers, until at least Jan. 16.

Also on Tuesday, Warren said John Simon has accepted an offer to become the racing secretary at Delta. Simon, a former racing secretary at Delta, takes over from Matt Crawford, who recently became the racing secretary for Sam Houston. Warren said Simon will start late this week or next week. Warren has been filling the racing secretary role at Delta.

Albarado Hitting 5,000 in Full Stride

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By Michael Adolphson
Thoroughbred Daily News

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana–One would imagine they call them journeymen for a reason. Always on the go, from one horse to another, racetrack to another and airport to another. In the same fold, it is the journey that seems to have brought the most satisfaction to veteran jockey Robby Albarado as he closes in on becoming only the 33rd American rider in Thoroughbred racing history to win 5,000 races. The 43-year-old native of Lafayette, Louisiana, seems to have a keen sense of the highs and lows of the game, with enviable accomplishments and global successes intersecting with unfortunate circumstances and humbling experiences to create an equilibrium point called wisdom. From said junction is where the winner of 201 graded stakes appears to operate, with a tangible passion that defies his age.

“Things are going well,” Albarado said. “I don’t think anyone continuously wins a bunch of races and you’re bound to have your ups and downs. [Approaching 5,000 wins] makes you feel a little old and like you’ve been around a long time, but I feel great. My family life is good and I have a great support system and that helps a lot, no matter what sport you play or job you do.

“When I go out there, I always try to remember that on slower days you may feel like there are no major races, but those races are major to somebody,” Albarado continued. “A win means a lot, no matter the race and I’ve been around for a long time and learned that you feel really good when you help out people. Whether it’s by riding for someone or giving advice to help these younger riders, I think it’s important to be a good influence. Especially with the younger jocks coming up. You want them to be not just be better jockeys, but better people.”

While a senior member of the Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs colonies in maturity, the athletic three-time Breeders’ Cup winner is far from cashing in his chips. The pilot of mounts who have earned than $205 million in purses is fresh off a season in which he rode (1,179) and won (172) more races than in the previous four years, while utilizing his textbook strength-meets-finesse style to win five graded stakes. His talent with exceptional stock was on display during the abbreviated career of Not This Time (Giant’s Causeway), whose desperate neck runner-up effort would have won most GI Breeders’ Cup Juveniles.

No stranger to top horses, he has an enviable rolodex of champions upon which to reflect from his more than 31,000 mounts thus far, including such class animals as Captain Steve, Orientate, Court Vision, Stellar Jayne and Banshee Breeze.

Still, there is no question that among his 35 Grade I victories, those earned by greats Mineshaft and Curlin stand out. Each of those titans earned Horse of the Year championships by repeatedly dominating their rivals. Curlin, trained by Steve Asmussen, also gave Albarado his first Triple Crown event, Breeders’ Cup and international victories when taking the 2007 GI Preakness S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, followed by the 2008 GI Dubai World Cup.

“They were easily the best two and it’s hard to compare them because they were two different horses from two different eras,” Albarado reflected. “Curlin was a big, immature horse early on who had unlimited talent and then put it together. He was really well-managed and became very dominant. Mineshaft was very special and masterfully managed by Neil Howard and [owner] Mr. [William S. Farish III]. He had a way of moving and was so fast. You could feel his confidence. I’m still not over losing the Stephen Foster on him, but that was my fault and you try to learn from it. Both horses gave you an incredible feeling. Actually, the fastest horse when it comes to speed I have ever ridden was a little Texas-bred named Touch Tone for Ronny Werner. He didn’t run very many times, but he was such a talented horse.”

Loyal horsemen throughout the country have stuck by Albarado, despite some of his tougher times. A highly publicized domestic dispute and subsequent court case took a severe toll on his business, but the eternally optimistic Albarado took it with heavy doses of humility and perspective, just as he has done while going multiple injuries, including one that cost him the mount on GI Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom the week of the race.

“The legal stuff didn’t help, but I dealt with it, owned up to it and we got through it,” he explained. “Now I’m focused on riding, I’m still the same Robby Albarado in the saddle and I try to look on the bright side. You can’t change the past, but you learn from it. I fractured my skull and busted my eardrum and now I actually hear better out of that ear. When I broke my collarbone, my golf swing went from outside-in to inside and is much better now. I try to pull the positives out of when things go poorly.

“You learn as you go,” Albarado continued. “When I was a teenager, I didn’t get within five miles of a gym, but as you get older or you get injured, you get educated about your body. You learn about how instrumental it is to stay healthy physically and mentally. You always have young, hungry and athletic jockeys coming up and coming after your spot, so you have to keep yourself in shape so you can use that as much as you use your wisdom. It’s like Derek Jeter, who is one of my favorite athletes. So many shortstops went after his job with the Yankees and he kept himself on top and in shape, in addition to obviously being very talented.”

While his talent has made it easier for said horsemen to stay steadfast and load the equine bases for Albarado, it is his character and sense of duty that have hit a home run with his colleagues.

“He’s been a big part of my career both on and off the track and meant a great deal to my operation and to my wife and family, too,” said Neil Howard, trainer of Mineshaft. “It’s no secret the kind of rider he is. He’s one of the best in the country and his accomplishments speak for themselves. Obviously when you have a good horse like Mineshaft they often aren’t too complicated, but it’s the Wednesday-Thursday-Friday horses that he’s always been a great help on. Mr. Farish and I get good feedback and he’s always candid and that’s been absolutely key.”

“Great memories {with Albarado},” Asmussen added. “Robby rode our first Grade I winner Dreams Galore in the (1999) Mother Goose, our first Classic winner Curlin (in the Preakness) and our first Breeders’ Cup winner (also Curlin).”

Since beginning his career in June of 1990 at 16 years old, Albarado has had the acquisition of a Kentucky Derby trophy on his to-do list. Adding a sprinkle of insults to the injury of losing the Animal Kingdom mount is that fact that the possible future Hall of Famer has hit the board in the Run for the Roses three times.

“You feel like a deflated balloon when you lose the Derby, but I still get goosebumps when I think of the race,” he said. “If you’ve ever been to the Derby and you don’t enjoy it, then you don’t belong in horse racing. It’s something so special and I’ve been so close, but I try not to feel bad about that. Pat Day was one of the greatest riders of all time and he only won the race one time and hit the board a bunch more. With the Animal Kingdom situation, especially with winning a Grade I the day of the race while wearing a protective face mask–that wasn’t easy, but that’s how racing goes and I still am very hungry to win it and know I can do it.”

With all that Albarado has accomplished as he approaches such a significant milestone, one would imagine some sign of slowing down would become apparent, but the father of four is firing on all cylinders in 2017 and appears to have renewed fervor. From 21 mounts in the first week of the new year, he has hit the board 15 times and landed three victories, indicating that the proverbial journey is far from its destination.

“It helps with the right horses, of course, but I feel like I’m more comfortable out there and I’m making good decisions,” Albarado said. “My agent Lenny {Pike} and I have been together for over 20 years and we have a great relationship and we feel great about how things are going. We are going after the right opportunities and the right spots.

“It’s still fun to ride,” he concluded. “I love to look at a race and pull it apart and then go out there execute it perfectly. It doesn’t always work out that way, but nothing feels better than when it does.”

 

EHV-1 Scare, Shipping Bans Decimate Fields At Louisiana Racetracks

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by  | 01.09.2017 | 5:15pm

Paulick Report

As Christmas Day approached, things were looking very positive at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The track was showing significant increases year over year in handle and field sizes averaged around nine per race, up a horse per race from a year earlier.

Then, the call came in that a horse in Barn 14 tested positive for the equine herpesvirus. The strain of the disease, EHV-1, is highly contagious and can prove fatal. Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture installed a quarantine on Barn 14, and since then, six other horses have tested positive for EHV-1, some of them to a different strain that doesn’t target the nervous system, and three more barns have been quarantined. The track also imposed a ban on shipping in or out.

“We were feeling good about ourselves, and then all of the sudden, this bombshell hits us, and you just get back to reality and face it and deal with it,” said Jason Boulet, Fair Grounds’ senior director of racing.

Boulet hasn’t crunched the numbers in the new year, but the anectodal evidence suggests the shipping ban is having a serious impact on field sizes and most likely handle. Primarily stewards’ scratches, presumably the result of horses not shipping in, led to a three-horse field on Saturday and a two-horse race on Sunday.

“We average about 15 to 20 ship-ins per day for our racing program, so we depend on those horses to make our field sizes what they are,” said Boulet. “When you shut that down, it pretty much brings down the starters per race by one or two horses.”

Soggy turf course conditions over the weekend didn’t help matters. Off-the-turf races led to even more scratches.

The racing product is struggling across the state at Delta Downs, too. Despite not having any EHV-1 positives, Delta Downs also imposed a ban on shipping. For Saturday’s nine-race card, 42 of 92 entries were scratched by stewards. The third race saw a maiden special weight field whittled from 10 down to two. The numbers make sense. About half of any given card at Delta Downs might be comprised of shippers, according to Louisiana Racing Commission Executive Director Charlie Gardiner. It appears the rumor mill is churning, and the backside is buzzing with concern about EHV-1.

“Our racing is suffering right now and except for Fair Grounds, which is an unusual situation, I don’t think the same restrictions are warranted at Delta,” said Gardiner. “Sometimes, the worst part of the virus is the paranoia and fear that it strikes in others. A lot of times the fear is greater than the actual facts.”

At the same time, Gardiner said, “we want the tracks to have the autonomy to do what they think is in their best interests.”

Delta announced Monday that it would extend its quarantine on shipping until Jan. 16 and issued the following statement: “We still have not any reports of EHV-1 at Delta Downs, but are extending the quarantine out of an abundance of caution, in order to avoid the further spread of EHV-1 at our state’s racetracks.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to owners and trainers, and appreciate their understanding and support.”

“I can’t blame them; they’re trying to do the right thing,” said Boulet, “but they have hurt a lot of the horsemen in the in-between spots, the training centers and farms (by not allowing ship-ins).”

Boulet said Fair Grounds is doing everything it can to get the situation resolved sooner than later. Track owner Churchill Downs Inc. has invited equine infectious disease expert Dr. Nathan Slovis from Kentucky’s Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to visit Fair Grounds Tuesday and meet with state officials. There will also be a question and answer session with horsemen.

Friday will mark the end of the 14-day quarantine period for Barn 14, where the first positive test occurred. The quarantine won’t be lifted automatically; the state still must officially approve an exit plan, but both Boulet and Gardiner are confident the track is turning the corner.

“When we get past this week, and we start to release some of these quarantines that are happening at Fair Grounds, and I’m confident that’s going to happen soon, we’ll get back to normal,” said Gardiner.

“If we can through this one process and the state lets us out,” echoed Boulet, “then we can try to get out of this thing as quickly as possible.”

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Copyright © 2017 Paulick Report.

Equine Sales Co. Now Accepting Consignments for 2YO Sale

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Equine Sales Company is now accepting consignments for the 2017 Two-Year-Old In Training Sale with Race Age Horses, which will be held on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.  The Breeze Show will be Sunday, May 7, 2017.

Consignment contracts can be downloaded by clicking this link:
2017 Two Year Old in Training Sale with Race Age Horses Consignment Contract

You can visit our website:(www.equinesalesofla.com) or you can contact Equine Sales Company by email (sales@equinesalesofla.com) or call:  337-678-3024.