Herpes suspected at Calder

Officials at Calder Race Course have placed one of its barns under quarantine for precautionary measures because of a suspected case of neurological equine herpes.

The afflicted horse is an unraced 2-year-old who came to the track within the last month from a farm in Ocala, Fla. According to the track's veterinarian, Dr. Mary Scollay, the horse had been purchased out of the same Ocala Breeders' Sales auction as some of the horses recently found to have herpes at Churchill Downs.

"The horse in question is showing neurological deficits consistent with herpes," said Scollay. "That combined with the fact the horse came from the same sale as the ones in Kentucky, and we'd rather take the necessary precautions than assume it may be a coincidence."

Scollay said tests on the afflicted horse have been sent to a laboratory at Cornell University, and results are not expected to be returned until the middle of next week. Track officials declined to release the name of the trainer whose barn was affected until receiving the results of those tests.

"Even though all the other horses in the barn are clinically normal, they will be kept under close veterinary scrutiny," said Scollay.

No entries on any horses in the quarantined barn will be accepted, and those horses must train separately from the rest of the local population.