Herpes precautions taken at Golden Gate

The aborted fetus of a mare stabled at Golden Gate Fields tested positive last week for the equine herpesvirus, an outbreak of which caused the track to be quarantined earlier this year, but the mare and five horses stabled near her tested negative for the disease, according to a release from the California Horse Racing Board.

No quarantine was placed on the barn, although horses in the barn are having their temperatures monitored twice daily and precautionary measures are in place on the backstretch, including scrubbing the starting gate after each race and cleaning ponies before each race.

Track general manager Robert Hartman said that Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows, and Pleasanton are not allowing the import of any horses from Los Alamitos in Southern California, where two barns are under quarantine following the deaths of a stable pony and a racehorse from equine herpes.

Test results on other horses at Los Alamitos are pending.