A fire broke out at Barn 60 on the Belmont Park backstretch on Tuesday evening at approximately 6:05 p.m., according to the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) in a press release, killing two horses trained by Wayne Potts.
The release said that the had “responded to an active fire affecting Barn 60 at Belmont Park. NYRA security was joined by backstretch staff in rendering immediate assistance to the horses stabled in the barn at the time of the incident.”
“The fire was restricted to Barn 60 which holds stalls for horses under the care of trainers Wayne Potts and Jeffrey Englehart. A total of 58 horses were safely evacuated from the barn as a result of the immediate response by NYRA security, backstretch staff and the Elmont Fire Department. Despite the best efforts of those involved in the rescue, two horses under the care of Wayne Potts perished as result of the fire. Those horses will be identified following appropriate notifications. There were no reported injuries to barn staff or NYRA employees.”
According to the public information officer for the Nassau County Police Department, crews from both Elmont, N.Y., the town in which Belmont sits, and nearby Valley Stream, N.Y. responded to the scene.
“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,” said Dave O'Rourke, NYRA President & CEO. “That collective dedication and sense of community was on display this evening, when the heroic and selfless response of so many prevented further loss and saved the lives of dozens of horses.”
The press release from NYRA said that firefighters “responded within minutes to extinguish the fire and secure the scene. The New York State Fire Marshal and officials from Nassau County are investigating the cause of the fire, which was not immediately apparent.”
Reports of the fire began to circulate on Twitter shortly after 6 p.m.
Around 6:30, Mertkan Kantarmaci, a trainer at Belmont, Tweeted, “Fire at Belmont Park with loose horses. Need help.”
Zack Quintana, assistant trainer to Mark Hennig, sent Hennig a video that the trainer posted which shows at three firetrucks outside of a barn on the backstretch, with at least a dozen uniformed firemen on hand. There are no apparent signs of fire at the time.
Trainer Raymond Handal Tweeted, “Tragic day. Barn fire out. The horses have been relocated and everyone seems to be situated, hay, water, and feed tubs set for surviving group. The entire racing community came together with an force to help. So sad and heartbroken for the ones that didn't make it.”
Just before 8 p.m., Kantarmaci Tweeted a video of himself in a barn in front of a horse's stall and said, “Sierra doesn't want me to leave him alone after fire at Belmont Park Race Track.”
A phone call to Wayne Potts was not returned prior to publishing this story.
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