The Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) lifted its self-imposed quarantine on Pimlico Race Course this morning (Feb. 8), allowing horses from the Baltimore track to compete at Laurel Park in Laurel, Md., for the first time since Jan. 21. Twelve Pimlico-based horses ran on today’s card at Laurel,and five of the nine races featured Pimlico horses.

The MJC quarantined Pimlico on Jan. 21, closing movement to and from the facility for the 500 horses based there, due to an outbreak of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1). EHV-1 can cause upper respiratory infection, neurological disease, and abortion in pregnant mares. Neurologic signs were evident in the Pimlico outbreak.

“Today is a very exciting day for us,” said trainer Raul Garrido, who saddled a pair of Pimlico-based starters this afternoon. “We have been waiting to run for nearly three weeks. When you don’t run there is no income. Today is like a birthday party. Everybody is happy to be able to run again.”

Three horses from three different Pimlico barns were euthanatized last month. Yesterday (Feb. 7) the Maryland Department of Agriculture lifted the hold order on Barns 5 and 8 at Pimlico when all 43 horses in those barns tested negative for the virus. Two other barns remain under hold orders. Monday morning (Feb. 6) at Pimlico, the Maryland Department of Agriculture took nasal swabs on the horses stabled in Barn 6 to determine if the virus is present in their nasal secretions and plans on doing the same in Barn A tomorrow. The last clinical case of the virus at Pimlico appeared Thursday, Jan 19