Foreign horsemen who wish to ship their Thoroughbreds to compete in the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and other races at Churchill Downs will benefit from an on-track quarantine and isolation facility now located on the grounds.

When the Churchill Downs stable area reopens and starts accepting horses for the April 28-July 8 Spring Meet March 10, Barn 45 will be outfitted as a quarantine and isolation facility for horses that ship from other countries to compete at the Louisville track.

Last fall the barn was retrofitted to serve as a quarantine barn for horses that competed in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.  The barn contains a 38 stalls, with a firewall that will allow half of the facility to serve horses in quarantine and the other half to meet the needs of horses in isolation.  It will now be equipped year-round for this purpose.

Representatives of Churchill Downs’ racing office and officials with the Kentucky office of the United States Department of Agriculture have been working to ensure that the quarantine facility meets the agency’s regulations.