Some of our nation’s most competitive racehorses participated in a unique ulcer screening program this year at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Park. The Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (KHBA) at the Derby, and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Associ-ation (NYTHA) at Belmont each teamed up with pharmaceutical giant Merial to offer free screenings of horses for gastric ulcers.

A part of Merial’s health education campaign, the screenings are designed to educate horsemen, owners, and trainers about the dangers of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).

Marty Maline, executive director of the KHBA, said this program was successful last year at Derby time, and therefore was repeated this year. Jerry Johnson, DVM, a racetrack practitioner based in Lexington, Ky., was brought in by Merial for the screenings. Last year, 176 horses were scoped for trainers, including some of the top ones stabled at Churchill Downs for the spring meet. The 1999 screening showed that about 90% of the horses had ulcers. Approximately 65 horses were screened this year at Churchill — an estimated 89% had ulcers.

This was also the second year the service has been offered at Belmont. James A. Orsini, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, performed the ulcer scoping at Belmont Park on 108 horses this year, 91% of which showed evidence of ulcers. Orsini is Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Clinical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. He is unsure of why such a high percentage of racehorses have ulcers