November, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Can A Horse That Has Had EPM Have A Relapse?

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a potentially devastating disease caused by a protozoa that horses ingest. Once the horse has been infected, the organisms can migrate to the central nervous system, causing inflammation and tissue damage to the spinal cord and brain.

A horse that has EPM can be incoordinated, lame or weak. Treatment involves the use of antiprotozoal or antiparasitic medication like diclazuril, ponazuril or sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. These can reduce or eliminate the signs of EPM. Most cases of EPM respond to treatment, but horses may need more than one round of treatment weeks or months after their initial treatment.

EPM-causing protozoa are good at evading the immune response and surviving immune attacks, which makes them hard to eradicate. Additionally, a horse's immune response in the central nervous system is not as strong, additionally complicating treatment. Because of this, horses that have had EPM can relapse, though it is unclear how often this happens. One study showed a relapse in about 8 percent of horses within 90 days after the initial EPM treatment concluded. Evidence of relapses after longer periods of time also occur.

Multiple factors are involved in an EPM relapse, including the dose and type of drug used, as well as the variability of the individual horse to clear the organisms. A veterinarian caring for a horse that has another episode of EPM should investigate lengthening the duration of treatment.

Get to Know the All-Time Winning Jockeys in North America

Many horse racing champions foaled in America have set numerous records over the decades. But which American-born jockeys can claim to have the most wins of all time? Here is a look at six famous names from the top 10 jockeys based on wins in North America.

Churchill Downs To Install New Turf Course

A new $10-million turf course that will widen the running surface and increase durability to allow for an increased number of races will be installed at Churchill Downs following the Spring 2021 meet at the historic Louisville oval. Officials expect that the new course will be ready for use in the Spring of 2022, but did not rule out the possibility that turf racing could resume in November 2021.

The current Matt Winn Turf Course is a seven-eighths mile oval situated inside the dirt track and has been in use since the introduction of turf racing in 1985. It is comprised of four-inch high Kentucky 31 Fescue (90%) and Bluegrass (10%) grown in a three-inch topsoil layer over a 13-inch course masonry sand base.

The new and more robust turf course will be a similar blend of fescue and bluegrass and will have a redesigned subsurface. The growing medium will contain a six-inch upper root zone layer created with a blended mix of topsoil and grit sand which will sit on a six-inch lower sand layer constructed with masonry sand. Churchill Downs planted several test plots in the spring of 2019 and selected the best for use in the new turf course.

A state-of-the-art irrigation and drainage system and will be widened to 85 feet. The new course will allow for a variety of rail positions from 0 to 36 feet and will accommodate a field size of up to 14 horses.

Because of the project, there will be no stabling at Churchill in July and August 2021 and no racing will take place in September 2021 so as to allow for the turf course to take hold.

Of the 700 races staged annually at Churchill, approximately 25% are written for the grass. In 2019, there were 169 races carded for the turf, but 43 of those were transferred to the main track due to weather and/or sub-optimal turf conditions. Officials at Churchill were forced to cancel turf racing for the final two weeks of the current meeting.

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Santa Anita Announces Sunshine Bonus To Draw Out-Of-State Horses To Winter Meet

With its traditional Winter/Spring Meeting set to begin Saturday, Dec. 26, Santa Anita Park has announced a lucrative Sunshine Bonus, which is intended to attract out-of-state horses throughout the meet, which concludes on June 20.

“Along with the 10 percent raise in our average daily purse distribution which now totals $533,000, we're hopeful this new Sunshine Bonus program will help to attract horses that have not run in California over the past 12 months,” said Chris Merz, Santa Anita's Director of Racing. “With a guaranteed bonus of $3,000 to be paid to the owners of any eligible horse making their first start here, excluding stakes races and first-time starters, this is a very significant enticement to train and race at what we believe is a magnificent year-round facility.”

In addition to the initial $3,000 starter's bonus, Merz pointed out that sizable bonuses will be paid to those same horses predicated upon where they finish in their Santa Anita debuts.

“Excluding stakes and first-time starters, the Sunshine Bonus will also offer a 35 percent bonus to the owners of those horses finishing first through fifth in their first starts here. So for instance, if a horse ships in and wins a $61,000 maiden special weight race, the owner will not only receive the standard winner's share of $36,600, he'll get the first time Santa Anita starter bonus of $3,000 as well as the 35 percent bonus of $12,810.

“This adds up to total money-won of $52,410 in a $61,000 race. The numbers speak for themselves and we're hoping horsemen nationwide will take this into account when they consider sending horses here this winter and spring.”

The post Santa Anita Announces Sunshine Bonus To Draw Out-Of-State Horses To Winter Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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