Click here for 2008-09 Thoroughbred racing schedule (PDF format).

Click on the "Condition Book" link to view Condition Book and Index. (Condition Book #3 now online.)

Information on Equine Herpes Virus at Fair Grounds:

• One barn at Fair Grounds has been placed under quarantine by the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) after the discovery of a case of equine herpes virus (EHV1), a contagious upper respiratory and neurologic ailment in horses.  The disease poses no threat to humans.
• One horse stabled in Barn 4A was confirmed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, to be infected with EHV1. That horse was moved off the grounds to an equine hospital in Kentucky prior to the return of that ‘positive' test result.  Tests were being performed on Friday, Dec. 26 on the remaining 71 horses in Barns 4A and 4B to see if any other horses were exposed or infected.
• Following the receipt of the initial ‘positive' test result, Barns 4A and 4B were placed under quarantine by the LSRC.  Quarantine, or isolation, is considered an effective way to control the transmission of EHV1.  Horses in the affected barn are not allowed to join the general horse population in any way.
• EHV1 is spread from horse-to-horse through the air, although the virus is short-lived and the maximum spread of the virus through the air is believed to be 35 feet.  The disease can also be spread when a horse comes in contact with clothing or tack that has been in contact with an infected horse, or via shared food and water sources.
• Symptoms of EHV1 include fever and upper respiratory infection.  Other symptoms include a cough, nasal discharge, poor appetite and lethargy. In severe cases, horses infected with EHV can display neurological symptoms that include a loss of coordination and an inability to stand.
• EHV1 should not have a significant impact on our racing season as long as the quarantine is effective in containing the virus.
• Ship-ins will be allowed to stable only in the Receiving Barn.  The receiving barn and the starting gate will be disinfected daily.
• Training hours will be adjusted and extended as a result of the quarantine. The track will be open for training from 5:30-9:30 a.m., with the renovation break from 7:30-8 a.m. Horses from the quarantined barns will be allowed to train from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
• Fair Grounds horsemen are urged to check horses' temperature twice daily and to report any suspicious symptoms to the Louisiana State Racing Commission's equine medical director. Your continued vigilance aided in the early discovery of the current EHV1 case and your efforts are greatly appreciated.