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Quarantine Extended in Belmont’s Barn 15 Until Feb. 26

The period of the quarantine of Barn 15 at Belmont has been extended by two days by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) due to another horse in that barn, Willful Desire, developing a fever. The 4-year-old filly, trained by Gustavo Rodriguez, developed a fever on Monday. Nasal swabs and blood samples were immediately sent to Cornell University for analysis, which were returned on Tuesday afternoon as negative for EHV.

In accordance with standard protocols, Barn 15 will remain under quarantine through at least Feb. 26, 21 days from Willful Desire's first symptoms.

Barn 15 was first placed into quarantine on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. when Cure Curls, trained by Danny Gargan, presented acute neurological symptoms and was subsequently euthanized. Cornell University returned a positive test result for EHV on Sunday afternoon. The quarantine procedures are overseen by Dr. Sarah Hinchliffe, the director of NYRA's veterinary department, in consultation with the NYSGC.

The 34 horses stabled in Barn 15, which is also home to stalls for Jim Ryerson along with Gargan and Rodriguez, are monitored throughout the day for fever and other signs of illness.

During the quarantine period, horses stabled in Barn 15 will not be permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population.

Afebrile/asymptomatic horses stabled in Barn 15 will continue to train in isolation from the general horse population throughout the quarantine.

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Belmont EHV-1 Quarantine Will Affect Fields For Laurel’s Top Winter Stakes

The 21-day quarantine currently in effect for Barn 15 at Belmont Park to control an outbreak of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) will preclude any New York-based horses from shipping in to Laurel Park for the time being, and will have an adverse effect on field sizes for the Maryland track's two Grade III winter sprint stakes on Feb. 17.

Mike Rogers, the president of the racing division for 1/ST Racing and Gaming, which owns Laurel, disclosed the ban on Belmont shippers during Tuesday's Maryland Racing Commission meeting. He specifically mentioned the General George S. and Barbara Fritchie S., both worth $200,000 and run at seven furlongs, as being affected. Two other $100,000 stakes are also on the same card.

“Unfortunately, we could be affected by the EHV-1 outbreak that took place in New York right now,' Rogers said. “As of right now, we're not accepting horses from New York. So it could affect our field size, because we do have a lot of nominations from New York.”

The highly contagious EHV-1 can spread during any time of the year, but the onset of winter typically brings a spike in cases nationwide.

Cute Curls (Tapiture), an unraced 3-year-old filly trained by Danny Gargan, was euthanized Feb. 3 after displaying acute neurological symptoms.

A New York Racing Association press release from Feb. 4 stated that 34 horses are stabled in Barn 15, which is also home to stalls for trainers Jim Ryerson and Gustavo Rodriguez.

The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC), which maintains a national database of updates and notices, reported Feb. 5 that a second filly out of Belmont's Barn 15 also spiked a fever and that “blood and a nasal swab are being submitted for PCR testing.”

The EDCC report continued: “An official NY State quarantine of all horses stabled in Barn 15 at Belmont Park Racetrack was put in place on 2/4/24. Horses stabled in Barn 15 are not permitted to train in the company of the general population of horses. Horses from Barn 15 must train after the close of regular training hours. Standard biosecurity measures are in place and enforced by NYRA Security personnel with veterinary supervision.”

Rogers said that “We'll take our guidance from our veterinarians before we allow [any] horses in from New York.”

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Grayson-Jockey Club Approves Funding for EHV-1 and EHM Vaccine Research

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation recently issued a special call for research proposals to address vaccines for Equid Alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) and after a thorough review process by the foundation's veterinarian advisory committee, two research proposals were selected for funding.

The projects, led by Gisela Soboll Hussey of Michigan State University and Bettina Wagner of Cornell University, aim to develop novel nucleic acid vaccines to protect horses from EHV-1/EHM and EHV-4.

Soboll Hussey's project is titled, “Use of nucleic acid vaccines to protect from EHV-1/EHM,” and it will last three years. Her objective is to develop a novel mRNA-based EHV vaccine that protects horses from EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy, a method that will likely cross-protect horses against other types of equine herpesviruses. Wagner's project, titled, “A novel DNA vaccine platform to control EHV-1 and EHV-4,” will span two years and aims to develop an effective DNA vaccine for EHV-1 to protect horses against infection and disease, working to prevent catastrophic EHV outbreaks in the future.

The EHV-1 and EHM viruses affect horses of every breed and discipline, and they continue to cause significant economic losses through closures of racetracks and sales barns, delays in training schedules, and severe disease and death of horses. Total funding for the projects of $1,885,436 was provided by special donor Dr. John Ballantyne and Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation.

“The work of our research advisory committee is timely and essential,” Dell Hancock, chairman of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, said. “We look forward to working with these institutions to develop these vaccines and protect the equine industry from the devastating effects of EHV-1 and EHM.”

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Kentucky Provides Updates on EHV, Movement Protocols From Gulfstream Park

Ten days after Gulfstream Park identified a horse who was displaying signs of EHV, Kentucky's Department of the State Veterinarian issued new guidelines on protocols for horses moving from Florida to Kentucky

Current guidelines require that all horses entering a Kentucky racetrack or sanctioned training facility meet the additional requirements of having a 72-hour Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) and also meet the state's EHV-1 vaccination requirement of having been vaccinated a minimum of 14 days and no more than 120 days prior to entering the stable area. The 14-day minimum applies only to horses that have not been vaccinated during the preceding 120 days.

“There has been no change in the status at Gulfstream Park,” Rusty Ford, Kentucky State Veterinarian Office's Equine Operations Consultant, said. “One case of a neurologic horse has been confirmed positive for EHV1. The horse became recumbent and was euthanized [and] 174 horses remain housed in the affected barn and are under an official quarantine. Florida state veterinary officials have been conducting the epidemiologic investigation as well as managing and monitoring the quarantine. I have also received notification that a review of the records of horses moving out of the affected barn during the 2 weeks preceding the diagnosis did not identify any horse moving to Kentucky.

“At this point-in-time we understand there has been no testing of the 174 exposed horses and lacking additional symptomatic horses being reported there is currently no plan to test. My understanding is the horses in the quarantined barn may qualify for release following 21 days of no additional cases being reported or diagnosed. Though these 174 horses are under quarantine and have not since January 21 had direct contact with other horses on the grounds at Gulfstream, the lack of testing these exposed horses has raised our concern.

“Movement of the non-quarantined horses currently stabled, or horses that had been on the grounds of Gulfstream Park since January 20th, can continue to be conditionally allowed entry onto a KY track/training facility and be stabled on the grounds.”

Horses moving from Gulfstream (or having recently been on the grounds) can be allowed entry if the horse meets the published requirements for entry in addition to the modification listed below:
– Prior to a horse destined to a KY track/training facility departing, the horse's trainer or veterinarian is to contact the equine medical director, or his designated person, and provide required information on each horse that is seeking approval to move to the track.
– Approval of a designated horse to enter the Kentucky destination track by that track's equine medical director is based on the condition that the horse is to be temperature monitored and recorded twice daily for seven (7) days post arrival with the temperature logs posted on the stall. Any elevated fever or other sign or suspicion of illness shall immediately be reported to the equine medical director.
– The horse is to travel on a Health Certificate showing examination and issuance of the certificate performed the day of departure or during the 12 hours immediately preceding the departure. The certificate shall have the EHV vaccination recorded on it as well as the date the equine medical director approved the move and the estimated time of departure and KY arrival.

“These requirements are being adjusted in consultation with the track's equine medical directors and are subject to change without any advanced notice being provided should the disease event at Gulfstream Park change,” Ford said.

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