Churchill keeps two barns under quarantine, but EHV-negative horses can ship out

Two barns on the Churchill Downs backside remain under quarantine because of recent positive tests for exposure to equine herpesvirus, but track management has begun to allow horsemen to ship out from the track provided their horses test negative, according to Churchill’s top equine health official.

Dr. Will Farmer, equine medical director for the company, said on Wednesday that Churchill has been moving horses throughout the backside to allow trainers to isolate their horses from the quarantined population since six horses tested positive for equine herpesvirus almost two weeks ago. Those horses have been allowed to ship off the track grounds provided they test negative for exposure to the virus, which is highly contagious.

“Fortunately, we have a lot of space, so we’ve moved horses out to barns to where they aren’t exposed to the quarantined horses, and we can put each trainer’s horses in an isolation barn,” said Farmer.

Churchill wrapped up its fall meet on Nov. 27, one week before a horse was shipped off the track’s grounds to a clinic after displaying symptoms of equine herpesvirus. The horse tested positive later that day.

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Churchill is still scheduled to close the backside for training at the end of the year, Farmer said, in line with its previous policies. Approximately 250 horses remain on the backside.

Live racing in Kentucky is currently being conducted at Turfway Park in Northern Kentucky, a track owned by Churchill.

The two barns that remain under quarantine are the two barns that were initially quarantined, Farmer said. Four of the five of the horses who initially tested positive for exposure to equine herpesvirus tested negative yesterday, according to Farmer, and all remain asymptomatic.

An additional horse tested positive for exposure to the virus yesterday, Farmer said, after a trainer requested that all of his horses get tested so he could begin to ship out. That horse was also asymptomatic.

Horses can test positive for equine herpesvirus without ever displaying or suffering from any symptoms.

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