Truro Raceway has been cleared to resume its 2009 race meet and race secretary Joe Kelly says the track will stage a race program on Sunday, March 8.
The Nova Scotia track has been dark for the last two weeks as the result of directive from the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission, which called off a 12-dash program on February 22 as a precaution when a sick horse was reported in the ship-in barn. The March 1 program was also scrubbed, pending a test on the sick horse to determine if it might be suffering from the strangles, an infectious disease that attacks the respiratory system.
Kelly said he was informed that the sick horse tested negative for the strangles. He said the racing commission has imposed no restrictions on ship-ins for the scheduled Sunday card.
However, 16 of the horses that were quarantined still must have one more clean test before the quarantine will be lifted in two barns where they are stabled.
One horse that tested positive on two occasions has been isolated.
“It has been a tough year,” said Kelly, who pointed out that a combination of bad weather and an earlier strangles scare had impacted the racing schedule. After taking a month off between mid-January and mid-February, only one card has been staged.
Another winter storm cause more havoc for the racetrack on Monday night when flood waters inundated part of the stable area. Horses were moved from the stable area to the paddock, located on higher ground.
The paddock and ship-in barn is in the process of being disinfected as a result of the strangles scare.
(Atlantic Post Calls)