Turfway changes shipping protocols after horse tests positive for EHV-1 at training center

Protocols to protect against the transmission of equine herpesvirus have been put in place at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., after a horse tested positive at a training center near the track earlier this week, according to the Kentucky state veterinarian.

The training center has been quarantined after a horse there tested positive Tuesday for the neuropathogenic strain of the virus, known as EHV-1. The virus is extremely contagious and can be fatal, and outbreaks within the Thoroughbred racing community are most frequent during the winter months.

The 3-year-old filly that tested positive was sent to a veterinary hospital near Lexington and was showing signs of recovery, the state veterinarian said. A total of 27 horses at the training facility had samples pulled for testing Thursday.

At Turfway, all horses shipping into the track will need to be placed in the receiving barn unless shipping in to a trainer who has been assigned permanent stalls at the track. The state veterinarian also said that “biosecurity protocols have been elevated” at the track.