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African Horse Sickness: Is The U.S. Prepared?

African horse sickness recently made headlines as it traveled to, infected and killed horses in Thailand, believed to be brought to the country on imported zebras. The disease, which is carried by biting midges, is not found in the United States, and officials and those involved in the equine industry intend to keep it that way.

Various state and federal agencies, as well as Texas A&M AgriLife faculty and the equine industry, are carefully monitoring the situation and creating best practices to help prevent the disease from entering the U.S. As equines are moved all over the world for different purposes, the risk that diseases, including African horse sickness, will be introduced to North America is real.

The chance that insects found in the U.S. can act as virus vectors is also present. Biting midges in the United States can transmit two similar viruses: blue tongue and epizoonotic hemorrhagic disease, which affect both livestock and wildlife. It's imperative that surveillance, detection and planned responses are in place to combat African horse sickness, as well as other diseases, that may enter the country. Advanced knowledge and warning allow for possible prevention before it reaches U.S. borders.

Import requirements are already in place to help reduce the likelihood of virus introduction; horses must be inspected prior to export and undergo 60-day quarantine once they arrive stateside. Additional measures may need to be introduced to help safeguard the equine population in the States.

Texas AgriLife Research and AgriLife Extension have studied the taxonomy, ecology and management of biting midges, and they have the facilities and services in place to assist in both preparation for the disease and to mount a response. A vaccine for the disease is available and effective, but can make horses ill as they contain a live pathogen. Incorrect vaccine administration could lead to the creation of new variants of the disease.

There is still much to be learned about African horse sickness, including vector capacity. The disease could be devastating to the U.S. equine economy, so ongoing, diligent study is needed.

PHBA Iroquois Award Winners Announced

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association’s Iroquois Awards, honoring the top Pennsylvania-bred Thoroughbreds of 2019, was held via Zoom Friday night.

The big winner of the night was Grade I victress Mirth (Colonel John), who took home Horse of the Year, Older Female and Turf Female. She wired both the GI Rodeo Drive S. and GIII Robert J. Frankel S.

Top 2-year-old filly went to stakes winner Weed Wacker (Artie Schiller) and the leading juvenile colt was Newstome (Goldencents), a three-time stakes winner. The leading sophomores were stakes-winning filly Gotta Be Strong (Strong Mandate) and GSP Parsimony (Dominus), who captured the Curlin S. in Meydan.

MGSW Prince Lucky (Corinthian) took home top older male and dual graded victor Pumpkin Rumble (English Channel) was named leading turf male. Pennsylvania’s best sprinters last year were Bronx Beauty (Liaison), a three-time stakes winner in 2019, and Midtowncharlybrown (Uptowncharlybrown), who captured a pair of black-type events.

The steeplechase category went to Senior Senator (Domestic Dispute). PA-Preferred Female was awarded to Imply (E Dubai), who also took home leading breeding fund recipient, and the PA-Preferred Male was Midnightcharly (Uptowncharlybrown). Mirth’s dam DI’s Delight (French Deputy) was named top broodmare.

Leading total breeding fund recipient was Northview Stallion Station; Leading overall breeder of PA-breds was Blackstone Farm; Leading stallion was the late Jump Start; and OTTB went to Fairly Obvious. Bettina Jenney took home the lifetime achievement award and the award of merit went to Touch of Kindness Sanctuary.

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Mask Regulations for UK Jockeys Tweaked

Face covering regulations for jockeys have been revised, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Saturday. There has been a hot spell in the UK as summer begins. The new protocols are as follows:

Prior to a race, jockeys are required to wear a face covering (which covers nose and mouth) from the time they depart the changing area in the weighing room.
The wearing of face coverings during the race is recommended. However, jockeys are permitted to pull down the face covering in the moments immediately prior to the start and for the duration of the race. For Flat races, jockeys in the starting stalls should not turn to face any neighbouring loaded jockey.
On completion of the race, the face covering, if lowered for the race, should be raised before entering the horse walk, whether mounted or on foot.
In the unsaddling area, once the jockey has assisted stable staff with loosening any tack and is two metres away from any other personnel, the face covering may be lowered until the jockey returns to the changing area.
While the face covering is lowered, it is essential that two-metre social distancing is maintained.

The BHA also announced that beginning on July 1, international runners will be permitted to take part in heritage handicaps on the Flat. Internationally trained runners can already participate in Class 1 races on the Flat and over jumps. Horse Racing Ireland has confirmed that also on July 1, premier handicaps in Ireland will be open to British-trained runners, as well as all black-type races under both codes. See www.britishhorseracing.com for more information.

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Kodiac’s Frenetic Too Fast In the First Flyer

The Curragh staged the first 2-year-old black-type event of 2020 on Saturday and it was the aptly-named filly Frenetic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) who burned off her rivals to land the spoils in the Listed GAIN First Flier S. and continue the purple patch for her sire. Sent off the 10-11 favourite having impressed on her winning debut in a June 10 Navan fillies’ maiden, SBA Racing Limited’s bay ploughed a lone furrow towards the stand’s side under Colin Keane and never looked likely to surrender her lead. At the line, her sire’s fourth black-type winner in eight days had a five-length margin to spare over another filly Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) who won the battle in the main group only to comprehensively lose the war.

“She’s a lovely filly with a lot of speed and had come forward from Navan,” the winning rider said. “We were drawn on our own and I stayed away from everyone on that virgin ground. I wanted to let her go forward, as she’s very uncomplicated and likes to get on with it and thankfully it worked out well.” Ger Lyons added, “She’s the fastest we have and was our Queen Mary horse if we had one. I said to Colin going out to be careful with the wind like that as she’s light and his biggest problem was going to be keeping her on the ground. The plan was to go to Naas [for the G3 Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies’ Sprint S.] next week with her and we held an entry here just to see how the race panned out. I don’t want to abuse her, but she’s a two-year-old written all over her and if she’s fit and well will go to Naas next Saturday. Ultimately we will work back from the [G1] Cheveley Park. That will be my long-term plan.”

Frenetic is her dam’s last known foal, with her first being the Paradise Creek S. winner and GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. third Big Handsome (Street Boss). The second dam is the GIII Mint Julep H. winner Kiss the Devil (Kris S), whose daughter Kiss Moon (Malibu Moon) emulated her dam’s achievement in winning the Mint Julep H. herself. Kiss the Devil is kin to Stylish Manner (Touch Gold), who produced three stakes performers headed by the GIII Affirmed H. winner and GI Haskell Invitational S. runner-up Nonios (Pleasantly Perfect). This is also the family of the G2 Lowther S. and G3 Princess Margaret Juddmonte S. scorer and G1 Cheveley Park S. third Besharah (Ire) by the winner’s sire Kodiac.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GAIN FIRST FLIER S.-Listed, €37,500, Curragh, 6-27, 2yo, 5fT, :59.05, gd.
1–FRENETIC (IRE), 126, f, 2, by Kodiac (GB)
1st Dam: Moojha, by Forest Wildcat
2nd Dam: Kiss the Devil, by Kris S.
3rd Dam: Devil’s Nell, by Devil’s Bag
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (170,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-SBA Racing Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €22,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $35,787. *1/2 to Big Handsome (Street Boss), SW & GSP-US, $271,762.
2–Mooneista (Ire), 126, f, 2, Dandy Man (Ire)–Moon Unit (Ire), by Intikhab. O-Mrs Paula Davison; B-Killarkin Stud (IRE); T-Jack Davison. €7,500.
3–Eastern Voice (Ire), 131, c, 2, Vocalised–Star Street (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (€15,000 Ylg ’19 TIRSEP). O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE). €3,750.
Margins: 5, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.91, 11.00, 11.00.
Also Ran: Blue Cabochon (Ire), Chief Little Hawk, Hyde Park Barracks. Scratched: Twilight Heir (GB). Click for the Racing Post result.

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