Maryland horsemen are breathing a little easier after a preliminary test for equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) on a horse euthanized at Bowie Training Center came back negative.

The suspected EHV-1 case caused officials at the Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) to place a "hold order" on Barn 16 at the Bowie Training Center, in Bowie, as a precautionary measure. MJC racing secretary Georganne Hale said the hold order remains in place until the situation has been rectified.

To follow up on the initial test, the sample will be sent to a laboratory in Lexington, Ky., for confirmation. That result should be available Tuesday (Sept. 24) evening or Wednesday (Sept. 25) morning.

The hold order affects Barn 16, which houses horses trained by Annette Eubanks, Bobby Lee Plummer, and Patrick Magill. Horses conditioned by those trainers are not allowed into or out of the barn until given clearance by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, according to the MJC. There will be 24-hour security outside the barn, and anyone leaving the barn needs to change their clothes and disinfect their feet