Because of the outbreak of strangles at Saratoga Raceway in New York, racing officials in Canada and throughout the United States are cautioning horse owners not to enter horses in races that participated are were located at the Saratoga race track during the past month.
The Ontario Racing Commission (ORC) of Canada has advised Ontario tracks to use caution when considering entries of horses showing Saratoga lines in March.
Strangles - A highly contagious horse disease
Racing officials at many tracks are cautioning horse owners not to enter horses that participated at Saratoga during March.
Strangles is a highly contagious and serious infection of horses and other equines caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus equi.
According to ORC Veterinarian Supervisor Dr. Bruce Duncan, “It is up to the discretion of the racetrack. However, I strongly recommend race secretaries not accept entries from horses that have raced at that track in the past month. We recognize that the racing industry is very mobile. This disease is much easier to prevent, rather than deal with after the fact.”
In Scarborough, Maine, Scarborough Downs has implemented policies regarding all horses entering to race or desiring to be stabled at the track:
- All out of state horses must present a current health certificate before being granted admission to the paddock or the grounds.
- All horses shipping in to race will be subject to an inspection conducted by Dr. Zack Matzkin (State Veterinarian) before being allowed into the paddock.
- Any horse that was on the grounds at Saratoga Racewayafter March 18 will not be allowed to race or stable at Scarborough Downs until further notice.
Although most tracks do not currently require the strangles vaccine, horsemen are encouraged to consult their veterinarians regarding available vaccinations and/or swab tests. Most race tracks are continuing to monitor the situation in relation to strangles and have plans to react quickly if more cases develop.
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