Belmont herpesvirus quarantine lifted

The equine herpesvirus quarantine on Barn 10 at Belmont Park was lifted early Friday afternoon, 21 days after the filly Ladies Day became ill with the disease.

Ladies Day tested positive for equine herpes myeloencephalopathy, the more serious neurological strain of the virus. She was euthanized after being unable to get to her feet. Ladies Day, a 4-year-old daughter of Bernardini owned by Godolphin, was trained by Tom Albertrani.

The quarantine was overseen by Anthony Verderosa, the director of NYRA’s veterinary department, in consultation with New York state veterinarian David Smith. The horses in Barn 10 were monitored daily for fever and other signs of the illness, but all have remained healthy.

Albertrani and trainer Michael Dilger each has 10 horses stabled in Barn 10. Those horses have not been allowed to train or race since the quarantine was put into effect Feb. 15. They are now free to rejoin the general horse population.

The quarantine was the second of the winter at Belmont. A horse trained by Linda Rice in Barn 44 tested positive for the less-serious EHV1 strain of the virus in January. That horse had a temperature but did not display any neurological symptoms.

Other facilities that have had horses test positive for the equine herpesvirus this winter include Laurel Park, Turf Paradise, Turfway Park, and the Thoroughbred Training Center outside Lexington, Ky.

In anticipation of the Belmont quarantine being lifted, Laurel Park began accepting entries from Belmont-based horses beginning with its Saturday program.

Parx Racing, which has not let horses stabled at Aqueduct or Belmont on the grounds during the quarantine, began accepting New York entries Friday for its Monday card.