Wakanaka Out of Matriarch Due to EHV-1 Precautions

The California Horse Racing Board has announced that Matriarch Stakes (G1T) entrant Wakanaka (IRE) will not be allowed to compete in the Dec. 4 race at Del Mar after recently arriving from Churchill Downs, where six horses have tested positive for the contagious equine herpesvirus. According to a Dec. 3 statement from CHRB equine medical director Dr. Jeff Blea, Wakanaka and two other recent arrivals from Churchill "remain healthy and show no clinical signs of illness," but Wakanaka "was mildly positive on a nasal swab sample with a very low viral load." "The viral load was too weak to differentiate between neuropathogenic and non-neuropathogenic EHV-1," his statement continued, referring to a common strain of the equine herpesvirus. "This is only one test at a single time point, so we will continue to monitor the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, Wakanaka will not be allowed to compete in the December 4 Matriarch Stakes as planned." Horses with EHV-1 can experience neurological problems, lethargy, and fever, while others show only mild symptoms or are asymptomatic carriers. It is a viral disease that can be managed and is treatable. This week, Churchill Downs initially quarantined one barn before later restricting equine shipping and expanding its quarantine to include two barns where potential exposure could have taken place. Team Valor International and Gary Barber's Wakanaka had been the 5-1 co-second choice in the $400,000 Matriarch for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.