On Jan. 23, Florida State Veterinary officials conducted a thorough inspection of the barns at Gulfstream Park following a positive Equine Herpesvirus (EHV) case identified Jan. 21 in Barn 21. State veterinary officials have ruled that a minimum 21-day quarantine will be in place for Barn 21 only. During this quarantine period, affected horses will receive daily veterinary inspection and will not be permitted to race.
Horses shipping in during the quarantine period, including those for the upcoming 2023 Pegasus World Cup (G1), will be exclusively stabled at designated ship-in barns. The ship-in barns are half a mile from Barn 21, which is located at the opposite end of the Gulfstream Park facility.
"We thank the Florida State Veterinary officials for their quick response and for acknowledging the immediate measures taken by our team at Gulfstream Park to identify and contain the recent positive EHV. I would also like to thank them for the ongoing support of the horsemen, backstretch personnel and our team as we continue to safely race and train," said Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer, 1/ST.
Equine Herpesvirus, also known as Equine Rhinopneumonitis, is a highly infectious upper respiratory disease, neurological disease, and it can cause abortions and/or neonatal death. It is found worldwide and has nine known strands, and EHV-1,-3, and -4 pose the highest disease risk in the U.S. at this time.
