Due to the serious nature of a recent outbreak of the neurologic strain of Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) at racetracks in the southwest United States, the following entry policy has been adopted by Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie.
1. Until further notice, no horses will be admitted on the grounds of Lone Star Park if they are coming from a county with a facility or racetrack that is under quarantine for the EHV-1 Equine Herpesvirus, or if they are coming from a county adjacent to a county where quarantine has been implemented.
2. No trailer, van, or transport vehicle will be allowed to enter the enclosure of the racetrack unless the shipper signs an affidavit that he/she has provided the following information for every horse on their trailer, meeting the requirements below, regardless if the horse is to remain at the racetrack. The following documentation must be provided for every horse (including pony horses) at the stable gate before they will be permitted to enter the enclosure.
a. A current health certificate issued within 72 hours prior to arrival at the track which shows the vaccination record for each horse. The horse must have been vaccinated with an FDA approved modified live or killed virus vaccine for EHV-1 not less than 14 days and not more than 60 days prior to date of entry. The veterinarian must provide the date of vaccination, the brand, serial number, and the expiration date of vaccine.
b. The health certificate must also contain a statement by the issuing veterinarian that he/she has physically examined each horse within 72 hours of issuing the health certificate, and
i. the horse does not exhibit any clinical signs of the virus;
ii. the temperature of the horse was normal at the time of the examination;
iii. the veterinarian verified with the owner/trainer that the horse has not been exposed to a suspected EHV-1 positive horse;
iv. the veterinarian verified with the owner/trainer that the horse has not been stabled in an EHV-1 quarantined county or adjacent county within the past 21 days.
All trainers and horse haulers are urged to take extreme caution when transporting horses to properly disinfect and sanitize their trailers if there is any chance they may have transported an exposed horse.
Lone Star Park’s stable area will open on Monday, March 7. The track will open for training on Wednesday, March 9 and official workouts will begin Monday, March 14. Gate schooling will begin Tuesday, March 22. Live racing begins Thursday, April 7.