Calder quarantine ends

The three-week quarantine at Calder Race Course was officially lifted on

Monday. Beginning on that day, ship-in, entry, training and racing operations

were back to normal. 

Several infection control measures were put into effect at Calder when one

horse was diagnosed with the highly contagious equine herpes virus (EHV-1) on

November 30. No other horses at Calder have contracted the disease.

Lifting the quarantine allows 60 horses to resume normal training and racing

activity at Calder. Horses from outside of Calder, such as those stabled at

Gulfstream Park and Palm Meadows training center, are open to participate at

Calder without restriction as those facilities are again permitting travel to

and from the track. 

"While the quarantine was hard on our December performance, our team was

successful to effectively isolate the infection and prevent it from affecting

others," said John Marshall, Calder's vice president and general manager of

racing. "We appreciate the patience of our horsemen, and cooperation of several

agencies at the state and federal levels; we contained a very serious situation,

ensuring the overall safety and welfare of our industry's participants."

December is a high-profile month at Calder's Tropical Meet, featuring

competition among an already talented local contingent with horses shipping

south for the winter racing season. Saturday's Grand Slam II program comprises

the $150,000 W.L. McKnight H. (G2), the $100,000 Kenny Noe Jr. H. (G3) and the

$100,000 Stage Door Betty H. (G3). The $100,000 Tropical Park Derby (G3) will be

held on New Year's Day, once again making it America's first derby of the New

Year.

"Now that the quarantine is behind us, we are back to showcasing a level of

competitive racing that racing fans expect of Calder this time of year,"

Marshall said.

The Tropical Meet runs through January 2, 2010.