Seventh horse tests positive for herpes at Parx

A seventh horse at Parx Racing tested positive for the equine herpesvirus on Monday and was scheduled to be moved to the track's isolation area Tuesday morning.

There are currently two horses on the stable grounds who have tested positive for the herpesrvirus. Both are trained by Ron Dandy, who is stabled in Barn 30 along with trainer Michael Aro. The sixth horse, who tested positive last Thursday, is still at the track and also will be sent to the isolation area.

The isolation area was constructed at Parx over the weekend. It is a large tent that houses temporary stalls.

All seven horses to test positive for the virus have been based with Dandy or Aro. One of the horses was claimed by trainer Butch Reid, who is stabled in Barn 4 along with Keith Nations, just prior to the first horse becoming ill with the virus.

Barn 30 and Barn 4 are both under a quarantine. The horses housed in those barns have not been allowed to train or race since April 1.

All of the horses in the quarantined barns are scheduled to be tested for the virus in the near future.

During the quarantine, horses stabled at Parx are not allowed to leave track property.

Horses have not been allowed to ship in, either, because of a limited amount of available stall space. That rule might be relaxed to allow horses to ship in for the three $100,000 stakes planned for May 7 - the Parx Derby, Parx Oaks, and My Juliet - but those horses will then have to stay at Parx until the quarantine is over, according to Sam Elliott, the track's director of racing.