The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has lifted a quarantine order for half
of Barn 47 at Churchill Downs, which was placed under quarantine last Friday
after a horse in that barn was found to be infected with equine herpes virus
(EHV-1).
Sixteen horses trained by Al Stall, Jr. were allowed to return to regular
training on Tuesday at Churchill Downs after officials determined that none were
suffering from an active EHV-1 infection and there was a “minimal” opportunity
for exposure to the virus. The 40-stall barn is divided by a firewall and the
infected horse had been stabled on the other side of the structure.
However, 19 horses trained by David Carroll — a total that includes one stable
pony — remained under quarantine on Tuesday and confined to their side of Barn
47. A three-year-old trained by Carroll was the lone horse to test “positive”
last week for EHV-1. That horse was moved to a Lexington, Kentucky, equine
hospital after he displayed unusual symptoms on Thursday and was later discovered to be infected with EHV-1.
All 19 horses on Carroll’s side of Barn 47 have returned “negative” results
on nasal and blood tests designed to detect infection by the virus. Rusty Ford,
equine programs manager for the office of Kentucky State Veterinarian Dr. Robert
Stout, said those horses would be tested again early next week and their
status would continue to be evaluated by the State Veterinarian’s office.
Policies and procedures designed to limit the introduction and spread of
equine herpes remain in place at Churchill Downs, which opened its 21-day Fall
Meet on Sunday. All horses who enter and depart the stable area are required to present a
veterinary certificate of health that certifies that the horse has been healthy
for the previous 72 hours. Horses who ship in to compete in Churchill Downs
races are required to stable in either the receiving or stakes barns, and those
barns — along with the starting gate, paddock and equipment used by outriders
— are being regularly disinfected.