This means we are still dealing with an active herpes outbreak but all the animals in Barn 8 have all shown improvement. Things have also stabilized in Barn 5 where we have not had a sick animal since Monday.

This means we are still dealing with an active herpes outbreak, but all the animals in Barn 8 [the detention barn] have shown improvement.

We can't really say more about it than that it does not appear to have been a herpes case, but we cannot exclude herpes as a cause so we are treating that as a suspect.

Lifting the last remaining hold order at Pimlico is a positive that things are coming to a close there. We will continue working with all parties involved to monitor the situation and bring it to a conclusion. We thank the owners, trainers, and staff for their diligence in practicing prudent bio-security measures and their patience as we work through this science-based process that will make sure the remaining horses test negative before they will be released from the detention barn.

This new occurrence is extremely unfortunate and we are working closely with everyone involved and using the best science available in the equine research community to prevent any possible spread of illness. It is believed that this incident is not a distinctly new case. We encourage horse owners with concerns to contact their private veterinarian to determine if a vaccination or booster is recommended for their horses at this time.

Conditions at Pimlico and Laurel continue to progress in a positive manner. Today's news at Bowie does not change our plans to try to clear Barn 5 at Pimlico next week after test results are returned.