Two horses trained by Michael Stidham tested positive for equine herpes Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course–the latest in a series of positive tests for the virus at the New Orleans oval–the track confirmed late Saturday. Similar to the latest results, these horses tested positive for EHV-1 non-neurogenic type, also called the “wild type” strain. The two horses were previously tested on Wednesday and those tests returned negative, but a nasal swab Saturday returned a positive result.
Barn 36, where Stidham's horses are located, was previously placed under a 14-day quarantine, which has been reset effective Saturday. In addition to Barn 36, Barn 14 and the track's receiving barn also remain under quarantine. With horses unable to enter or leave the Fair Grounds property and additional restrictions placed on Louisiana's Delta Downs by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, both tracks felt the effects of the quarantine with scratch-reduced fields over the weekend.
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