Seven horses die at Los Alamitos amid a viral disease confined to one barn

Six horses at Los Alamitos were euthanized on Wednesday and Thursday after an outbreak of equine infectious anemia (EIA) in the barn of trainer Heath Taylor. A seventh was euthanized on Sept. 24.

EIA is an incurable disease that usually results in euthanasia. Horses with EIA have that virus mostly for the rest of their life, meaning an interminable quarantine or euthanasia.

All of the afflicted were quarter horses.

The first horse to have the condition detected was Bullet Train V, an Oklahoma bred, on Sept. 24. The 2-year-old colt was winless in two starts, neither at Los Alamitos, having finished third in a trial for the All American Futurity in Albuquerque.

Upon notification, the horse was euthanized and nine horses run by Taylor were put in quarantine. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), as is standard, was put in charge of the situation and subsequent investigation. EIA is not confined to the U.S.; it is a problem worldwide.

The three remaining horses who were quarantined have tested negative for disease. They will remain quarantined and be re-tested in two months.

EIA is caused by insects, usually flies.

Other horses who were euthanized were:

• Opt In, a 3-year-old gelding, who won once in eight starts, which was an All American Futurity trial last year. His last race was a seventh in an allowance race at Los Alamitos on Sept. 15.
• El Vencedor V, a 2-year-old gelding, won three of four including a win in an Al American Futurity trial. He never ran at Los Alamitos.
• Amore for a Reason, a 3-year-old filly, won three of eight including a seventh in the All American Oaks final, for 2-year-old fillies.
• Goodtyme, a 3-year-old gelding, who won three of nine races. His last race was a fourth in an All-American Futurity trial, in which he finished fourth.
• Other Assaultt, a 2-year-old colt, was winless in four starts.
• The Marksman V, a 3-year-old gelding, who was four for 10 lifetime and three-for-four this year. His last race was Sept. 2 with a fourth in the All American Derby in Albuquerque.

According to records from the California Horse Racing Board and supplemented by The Times, Taylor has had six deaths since 2000. He also had a sudden death during training.

Los Alamitos runs a year-round quarter horse and thoroughbred meeting that is partly made up of lower level thoroughbred horses. So far, the track has had eight racing or training deaths because of musculo-skeletal and one sudden death during training. The Times accounting of horse deaths do not generally account for diseases or non-racing injuries.

In 2019, Taylor was restored to good standing in Louisiana after a 2012 drug violation for the drug Dermorphin, a pain killer, known as frog juice because its origin was from secretions of South American tree frogs. Taylor served three years and nine months before being reinstated.

Racing at Los Alamitos is conducted every Friday and Saturday.