Melatonin successfully returns from severe illness

DEL MAR, Calif. – Melatonin was purchased privately after a maiden win in February 2014 and didn’t return to the races until last Saturday, when he scored a 30-1 surprise in an allowance race at Del Mar. It was a long road back for him, not just in terms of the 18-month layoff but what he had to overcome just to get back to the races.

Melatonin, according to trainer David Hofmans, was stricken by EPM – Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis – which attacks a horse’s central nervous system and often leads to uncoordinated movement, among other clinical signs.

“For a few months, he wasn’t acting right, and then he started dragging his hind feet,” Hofmans said. “We treated him with medication and kicked him out for nine months just to let him get over it all. Sometimes it’s recommended that you go on with the horse after treating them with medication for 28 days, but I think the stress of training doesn’t let them fully get over it.”

Hofmans said Melatonin recuperated in nearby Temecula, Calif., at Peacefield Farm, which is owned by John Amerman and overseen by Annie Lambert.

“He came back a totally different horse,” Hofmans said. “He ran great – had to wait inside, and when he got room, he ran like a pro.”