Horses from Turf Paradise banned because of equine herpesvirus positive

Santa Anita has banned the transport of all horses from Turf Paradise in Phoenix after a pony horse at that track was diagnosed with equine herpesvirus, according to Santa Anita director of racing Jason Egan. The ban, until further notice, was put into immediate effect Sunday afternoon.

Egan said that five horses recently arrived at Santa Anita from Turf Paradise. The trainers of those horses have been asked to closely monitor the conditions of those horses.

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This is the first issue related to EHV-1 in Southern California since Wakanaka tested positive for the illness at Del Mar in early December, which kept her from a start in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes.

Wakanaka was one of three horses that were sent to Del Mar from Kentucky in late November. They were placed in an isolation barn at Del Mar because of an outbreak of EHV-1 at Churchill Downs. Wakanaka had a negative blood test for EHV-1, but a subsequent nasal swab revealed that she was “mildly positive,” California racing officials said at the time.

Wakanaka, trained by Bill Mott, finished fifth in the Grade 3 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf Invitational on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.

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