Manitoba Derby removed from race series due to horse quarantine

The discovery of an illness at Assiniboia Downs in mid-June has led to the removal of the Manitoba Derby from the Western Canadian Derby Series’ 2024 race season.

The Downs said Monday that a case of equine infections anemia was found to have affected one horse in its backstretch barn area, leading to a 45-day quarantine imposed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Although every other horse tested negative, they will all need to be tested again before the federal quarantine can be lifted.

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The second and final testing is schedule for July 29, with results expected by Aug. 2 — bad timing for the Manitoba Derby, which has an entry date of Aug. 1.

“As there is no certainty to the results, date of release of that information, and the lifting of the current quarantine, it is only responsible to remove our race from the series this year,” Downs CEO Darren Dunn said in a release.

With the removal of the Manitoba Derby, the Western Canadian Derby Series will now consist of events in Edmonton and Vancouver.