Horse Breaks Track Record After Recuperating From Respiratory Disease

July 1, 1997

GAINESVILLE—A 3-year-old Thoroughbred colt, diagnosed with chronic lung disease last August at the University of Florida, now breathes the sweet smell of victory after breaking a track record and winning more than $44,000 in races this year.

“Considering his history, it’s amazing this horse broke a 20-year track record,” Joanne Guidry, editor of Florida Horse magazine, said of the colt, Barnacle Jim.

Barnacle Jim first came to the UF’s Alec P. and Louise H. Courtelis Equine Teaching Hospital in August after his trainer, Emanuel “Manny” Tortora, owner of Equitor Farm in Citra, noticed the colt had breathing problems.

“He never raced as a 2-year-old because we couldn’t get him to the track,” Tortora said. “He couldn’t participate, he was having such a hard time. Finally he got to coughing and we couldn’t stop it, so we brought him to Gainesville.”

UF veterinarians diagnosed small airway inflammatory disease, a condition akin to human asthma, in which the airways constrict and breathing is impaired. Veterinarians told Tortora that the colt, owned by James Lewis of Ft. Lauderdale, would not run again without receiving daily treatments with an inhalant.

Tim Cutler, a resident in large animal medicine at UF working with Al Merritt, professor of large animal medicine, said that treatment of Barnacle Jim’s condition typically involves placing a customized, molded mask over the horse’s nose. Aerosolized drugs are then administered through the mask, into the lower airway.

“Following Barnacle Jim’s diagnosis at UF, we sent him back to Citra,” said Tortora, whose sons run the North Florida farm while he operates the main operation at Calder Race Track in Hialeah.

Equitor trainers administered the horse’s inhalant treatments 30 to 45 minutes each day for three months. In December, Barnacle Jim’s condition had improved enough to send him south to race.

Rick Demme, brother of Oscar-winning film director Jonathan Demme, worked at Equitor as a groom during Barnacle Jim’s recovery. (The Tortoras allowed him to apprentice at their farm to learn more about the Thoroughbred industry.)

“When Barnacle Jim returned from UF, he had to become acquainted with the mask,” said Demme. “I remember the head groom, Aaron Hamilton, coaxing him gently for several days to get this mask on. It was a real challenge and if it was done wrong, the therapy never would have worked.”

Demme remembers trainer Rick Tortora rising at 5:30 a.m. for three months to administer Barnacle Jim’s treatments and take him through his training exercises.

“Then when he recovered and started tearing up the track…it was just so uplifting,” Demme said.

Barnacle Jim broke the track record at Hialeah Park April 20, running the 5-furlong race in 56.2 seconds and nabbing the lion’s share of a $24,000 purse.

Barnacle Jim continues to receive treatments every morning before training, but is currently recuperating from a knee injury received in a recent race.

“He’ll come back from that, too, I know,” Demme said. “He’s a neat horse.”

Cutler said UF treats approximately 15 horses per year with small airway inflammatory disease. “They all present as poorly performing, slow horses,” he said. “It’s a common problem.”