GRANTS PASS, OR—JUNE 3, 2018—According to an article by Frank Silow published today on the MailTribune.com, Grants Pass Downs' officials in Oregon, who are getting ready to open a nine-day pari-mutuel race meet on June 15, were suddenly faced Thursday with a potential crisis when a stabled horse at the Josephine County Fairgrounds tested positive for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA).

"We do not expect any problems," Rod Lowe, president of the meet sponsoring organization — the Southern Oregon Horse Racing Association told Silow. "It will not hold up the race meet."

A 7-year-old quarter horse mare was given a routine Coggins test on Tuesday because it is the first time the horse will race in the State. The Oregon Department of Agriculture Animal Health Laboratory detected a presumptive positive test.

About 80 horses stabled at the fairgrounds have been quarantined because of the positive test. A state veterinarian came to Grants Pass on Friday and tested 40 horses that were stabled in the vicinity of the infected horse.

"The state vet drew blood and we should have those results Monday or Tuesday," Lowe said. "Things are still going on like normal at the track, We can still train horses."

Lowe says a majority of horses for the local season will come to GP Downs after the Union (in Oregon) race meet June 8-9.

Lowe’s understanding was the horse was recently purchased and had been on a farm in the White City area before coming to Grants Pass Downs. The horse was born or raised on a farm in Washington that had other horses test positive for EIA, Lowe said.