Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation to fund more than $1 million in projects

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has approved the allocation of $1.16 million in funding for new and ongoing research projects, the group announced on Tuesday.

The funding will go toward 11 new research projects and eight projects that are in their second year of study, the foundation said. In addition, the board of the foundation approved two $15,000 grants to scientists studying equine issues.

The 11 new projects include a study of the latency of equine herpesvirus in horse populations. A strain of equine herpesvirus, EHV-1, has wreaked havoc on racing circuits when the highly contagious disease has been detected at racetracks or training facilities, leading to quarantines and shipping restrictions.

Other newly funded projects focus on dorsal displacement of the soft palate, foal pneumonia, the prevention of strangles, and the role of surfaces in fetlock injuries.