The quarantine placed upon Pimlico Race Course by the Maryland Jockey Club
due to an outbreak of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) could be lifted on February 4,
officials announced Friday.
“We are hopeful, based on the evidence to date, barring any other incidents
at Pimlico, that we may be able to remove the quarantine effective Saturday the
4th,” Chief Operating Officer Lou Raffetto said. “Barn 5 will be out of isolation on
the 30th. The Hold Order would remain in place until it is lifted from Barn 6
and Barn A and we would go back to the plan that was in place initially with
other horses at Pimlico being allowed to run at Laurel, with the holds on the
other barns until they are released.”
The virus was first detected in Barn 5, but horses in Barn 6 began showing
signs as well. The two barns were placed under an Investigational Animal Hold
Order and the horses with clinical signs of the virus were moved to the
Detention Barn and isolated. Barn A was added to the quarantine on January 19
after a horse began showing signs of EHV-1, and on January 21, officials from
the Maryland Jockey Club placed the entire track under quarantine.
On Friday, it was announced that no new cases have been detected in Barn 5 in
nearly three weeks.
“We believe that at this point in time we’ve taken the proper precautionary
measures,” Raffetto said. “We’re pleased to see we are making progress.”
The situation has spread beyond the grounds of the Baltimore track.
A Laurel Park outrider pony was sent to the Detention Barn at Pimlico after
testing positive from a blood sample. Results from nasal swabs taken came back
negative, meaning the horse is not infectious to other animals. The pony was
released from the Hold Order on Friday and returned to duty. However, a horse
was euthanized in Barn 9 at Laurel on Thursday, prompting the Maryland
Department of Agriculture to placed a Hold Order on the barn as a precaution.
“The horse had clinical signs that are not in fact strongly consistent with
neurologic herpes,” said Dr. Guy Hohenhaus, Maryland state veterinarian. “The
working diagnosis, working hypothesis by the attending veterinarian was that the
horse had an injury, possibly a pelvic injury that would account for its
lameness and progressive (decline).
“We are hopeful that this is not herpes, but we cannot exclude the fact that
this could be herpes and we are taking the extra precaution of placing the barn
that this horse was in, in a short term hold order until we have results back
next week that will clarify the situation. We are erring on the side of
caution.”
With Pimlico under quarantine, and some states restricting the movement of
horses in and out of Maryland, Laurel Park officials canceled two live racing
days (January 29 and February 5) and are considering moving the dates of the
Barbara Fritchie Breeders’ Cup H. (G2) and General George Breeders’ Cup H. (G2)
from February 19 and 20, respectively, to March.
“There’s probably a 90 percent chance that we are going to do this,” Raffetto
said in regards to moving the two races. “We wouldn’t be doing right by our
races if we ran them.”
Also affected by EHV-1 has been a private farm in Kent County, Maryland,
where on Thursday a 21-day Hold Order was placed. Two horses at the farm were
displaying clinical signs of the virus, with one being euthanized as his
condition deteriorated and the other showing some improvement by Friday. Samples
were taken from the euthanized horse and results are pending.
In other EHV-1 news, the West Virginia Racing Commission announced Thursday
that Kentucky horses are no long barred from Mountaineer Racetrack. Any horse
entering the facility must have proof of EHV-1 vaccination during the 10 to 90
day period prior to the arrival as well as a current coggins and health
certificate. Kentucky horses are still being prohibited from the Charles Town
track.