Horse illness not found beyond Saratoga track

New York regulators say a highly contagious bacterial infection that shut down racing at Saratoga Raceway hasn't been found at any of the state's other harness tracks.

The Racing and Wagering Board says Monday that 14 cases of Strangles had been confirmed at Saratoga, where racing was suspended Friday until April 11.

Strangles is also known as "equine distemper." It's an upper respiratory infection that's only rarely life-threatening.

The board is telling owners and managers not to ship horses to any of the tracks until they check first.

Precautions are in place at other tracks. Monticello won't allow horses to be shipped in and will race with the horses available. Yonkers is requiring health certificates to be updated weekly. Batavia, Tioga and Vernon aren't racing and don't have horses onsite.

Source: The Wall Street Journal