Lazarus N Scopes Sick

Don - the range for white blood cells (WBCs) at most veterinary labs is 4-11 however this encompasses all breeds and ages (for the most part) and includes 90-95% of all submissions without taking the clinical history into account. With racehorses, vets are looking at blood results that support optimal performance not simply "appearing healthy". I think most vets would agree that the majority of Standardbred racehorse WBCs fit into a range from 6-8. Sure there are those outside this range, for some horses "normal" is 4 and when they are dealing with issues it goes up to 7 and for others who stress every time they see a needle the "normal" may be 9-10 (stress response causes the WBCs to go up). As racehorses age their WBC often goes down a bit ( into the 5-6 range). It's important to know the horse's "normal" which is why many vets recommend taking a blood sample when the horse is racing well. When the WBCs go above 8 into the 9-10 range usually there is some degree of inflammation and possible bacteria in the tracheal mucus ( tracheitis) which is not uncommon in racehorses. Inflammation can also be due to allergens in the environment. Sometimes the WBC will go high after a bout of a virus as well (it usually goes down then up) but is usually supportive of inflammation that occurs after a virus has infected a horse. There are many respiratory viruses that can cause airway inflammation without making the horse really "sick". The blood work is only one indication of what is going on in the body and we try not to treat the blood but treat the horse. So other diagnostics are done such as endoscopy ( scoping), listening to heart, lungs, guts ultrasound examination etc. In Lazarus's case they found abnormalities on the post-race scope that indicated inflammation which could be supported by the blood taken the following day.

Mike - we don't usually scope horses before the race (it's actually not allowed in many jurisdictions) because there often isn't an indication to do so. Horses dealing with airway inflammation may scope clean at rest which is why vets often recommend they jog or train a horse before scoping. Exercise brings up the mucus from the lungs. The term "scoped sick" only means that there were abnormalities on the endoscopy examination, usually mucus (greater than a 2/5 or 4/10, and which often has some colour to it ( white or yellow) and there might be reddening of the airways, throat, enlarged lymphoid follicles in the throat ( which are like our tonsils) etc. Don't forget we are only talking about seconds in time lost in a race. Mucus in the trachea is only one signs of inflammation - they horse may have had some degree of airway constriction that we can't see (as in asthma) etc. Post-race scoping is pretty standard to understand suboptimal performance. If nothing is found there, then the heart is listened, to, the stomach may be scoped, a soundness evaluation done, ultrasound examination of lungs and gut etc, along with a full blood panel.

We should also keep in mind that Lazarus flew from the southern hemisphere at the end of May which was the beginning of their winter, into a hot North American summer. We are now heading into fall, and if he were down under he would be heading into spring. Hormones, thyroid in particular usually ramp down in the fall and winter and up in the spring . As well he is a stallion who would normally be heading into the breeding season if home. In other disciplines, people assume it will take 6 months to a year for a horse to fully adjust with respect to performance. I don't know if this is truly the case in racehorses from down under coming here as haven't seen enough of these international travelers. He certainly has been managing well - but maybe he will be better as he becomes more accustomed to the time zone and photoperiod.

Downunder mate, under the weather? I'm not saying this was a bad idea to hype this horse. Only seasoned horse players come out to watch great horses. Find better choices to attract new fans and let great horses find their way to our presence.

Luis... this horse has primarily completed against elite competition and has since he was a 4-year old, and defeated them as a 4-year old. I agree he needs to get healthy and up until this point had acclimated to the climate well (better than average). I hope this isn't a lengthy set back as he is now race ready, where an earlier set back really wouldn't have hurt as much with his talent and getting ready for big races.

I hope this remarkable horse gets healthy. No excuses, as McWicked, who is not often mentioned in the category of some of the greats, is actually one of the better horses we have seen, and had to overcome some set backs of his own. Lazurus N is undoubtedly one of the best ever, and watching his past races it was clear that something was off on Saturday night. This horse often goes 1.5 to 2 mile races and his strength the entire race, to leave a huge final kick is what sets him apart from all other horses. He races tough on the outside and just sits there and then pulls away down the stretch. To see him fade in the stretch was way off and no where near the :25.3 and :26 second final quarters of his previous 2 races.

For the Sport and Love of Harness Racing, I hope this horse is able to come back quickly and at 100% for Hoosier and the rest of the season. We may not get a chance to see a horse like him in a very very long time and it would be a shame to only see part of the horse and his potential.

Why wasn't Lazarus scoped BEFORE the race? It's unfair to the horse and to the betting public to race a sick horse.

I could be mistaken, but I thought 4-11 was considered "normal" for a horse. Can someone clarify?

I hope he gets back to normal but I can't see how they hope he can compete against elite competition with so few races in him.

I LOVE this horse. Prayers for a fast recovery