Belle Gambe, a 2-year-old half-sister to Breeders' Cup champion Uni, has been released after being stuck in a United States Department of Agriculture quarantine stall for nearly a month due to what owner Peter Brant calls a “faulty” test, reports the Thoroughbred Daily News.
The daughter of Dubawi was tested before leaving Ireland for the U.S. on Jan. 13, returning a negative result. Upon her arrival at the Kentucky Import Center, however, Belle Gambe tested positive for the venereal disease Dourine, so the USDA placed the filly in quarantine at Churchill Downs.
The Center for Food Security and Public Health describes Dourine as “a serious, often chronic, venereal disease of horses and other equids. This protozoal infection can result in neurological signs and emaciation, and the case fatality rate is high.” The disease is communicated almost exclusively during breeding; Brant believes the test result to be a false positive, since Belle Gambe is a 2-year-old who has never been used for breeding.
A second test was performed on Belle Gambe 14 days later; she tested positive again, though at a smaller concentration. The filly tested negative on Feb. 13. If she had remained positive, Brant would either have had to return her to Ireland or elect for euthanasia.
Now released from quarantine, Belle Game will be allowed to join trainer Chad Brown's string at Payson Park in Florida.
“I am very excited that she has been released and that she is on her way to Florida now and is getting ready to start her career, which I hope is successful,” Brant told TDN on Monday. “You can't cry over spilled milk. I just think this is an example of how there are problems with these false positives and the horses shouldn't have to suffer as a result of a lack of science.”
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
The post ‘Horses Shouldn’t Have To Suffer As A Result Of A Lack Of Science’: Brant Filly Finally Released From USDA Quarantine After ‘False Positive’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
