Two horses were killed in a barn blaze at Belmont Park in Long Island, N.Y., officials said.
Elmont Fire Department firefighters arrived at the famed horse racing facility just after 6 p.m. Tuesday to find flames burning through Barn 60, which houses 60 horses, the New York Racing Association said in a statement.
Fifty-eight horses under the care of trainers Wayne Potts and Jeffrey Englehart were evacuated from the barn, officials said. Two horses under Potts’ care did not survive the flames.
“The tragic loss of both horses will be deeply felt by the hard working women and men of the New York racing community, who dedicate themselves to the sport and to the care of these equine athletes,” NYRA President & CEO Dave O’Rourke said in the statement.
The names of the horses have not been released. No people were injured in the fire.
Nearly a dozen horses have died at Belmont Park so far this year, according to the state’s gaming commission. Most were due to various training injuries, while the rest succumbed to illnesses.
