Page 88 - January_2023

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JANUARY
AAEP PUBLISHES EQUINE PIROPLASMOSIS GUIDELINES
(Jan. 3)The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) published comprehensive guidelines to help veterinarians identify, control and prevent Equine Piroplasmosis (EP), a blood-borne infection with a mortality rate of up to 50% in equines, on their website at aaep. org. EP is considered a foreign animal disease in the U.S. and any detection must be reported to the state veterinarian and/or to USDA APHIS Veterinary Services. It is recommended that current Quarter Horse racehorses be routinely tested for EP and EIA during their racing career. Although natural tick-borne transmission of
EP is rare, “Re-use of needles, syringes, and IV sets, blood-contamination of multi-dose drug vials, use of illegal blood products from other countries, and direct blood doping between horses have been identified as common methods of blood-borne disease transmission in this population,” said Dr. Pelzel-McCluskey, national epidemiologist for equine diseases at USDA APHIS Veterinary Services.
2021 WAGERING UP FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2009
(Jan. 5) Wagering on horse racing for 2021 in the U.S. saw an increase for the first time since 2009 when $12.315 billion was bet. According to Equibase, wagering reached $12,218,407,637 in 2021 - an 11.86% increase over 2020.
The increase in wagering is largely attributed to gamblers turning to horse racing after COVID-19 shutdown four major sports in the U.S. The most ever wagered in the U.S. was in
2003 when $15.18 billion was bet. Purses also increased 35.77% over 2020 to $1,180,853,677 for an average purse increase of 9.91% per race to $273,871. Field size, however, was down 7.2% over 2020 to 7.37 runners per race.
WASHINGTON BILL COULD PROVIDE FUNDS TO STATE TRACKS
(Jan. 12) House Bill 1928 went through
the Committee on Appropriations in the Washington State House of Representatives, to provide funds to revive horse racing to smaller tracks in the state, including Sun Downs, Dayton, Waitsburg and Walla Walla. The bill would allocate $6 million
in sales tax on equine related products and
on other taxable sales directly related to equine ownership, riding or boarding to the Washington State Horse Racing Commission (WSHRC). The bill does not add a new tax, but rather allocates sales tax already collected. WSHRC executive director Doug Moore estimates $600,000 could be set aside for non-profit tracks and $55,000 per day could be available to the state’s Class C tracks, funding such expenses as insurance, purses and other costs.
OKLAHOMA QH HALL OF FAME
(Jan. 21) The Oklahoma Quarter Horse
Hall of Fame inducted their 2021 members
in Oklahoma City, recognizing outstanding individuals, horses, ranches or businesses, who contributed significantly to the state’s equine industry. The 2021 inductees were individuals Glenn Cantrell, Don Ed Roberts, Matt Vance and Scott Wells, businesses Fisher Ranch and
Haymaker Sale Company, and horses Corona Cartel, Invitation Only and PYC Paint Your Wagon. The Bud Breeding Oklahoma Spirit Award went to KC Montgomery Photographics.
86 SPEEDHORSE January 2023
REVIEW
EVERARDO RODRIGUEZ RIDES 5 WINNERS AT LAD
(Jan. 26) Jockey Everardo Rodriguez won five races at Louisiana Downs. His streak began in the second race with Cold Call Wagon in a claiming event; in the third race of the day, Rodriguez scored aboard Angelas Queen by 3 3/4-lengths in a maiden; in the fourth race, he won another claiming race on One Sweet Man; in the fifth he went wire-to-wire on Jessa Valiant Hero in a maiden; and in the
Hodges Photography