Belmont Fire Reported on Twitter

[Wandering Eyes]

A fire broke out at Belmont Park at 6:07 p.m., according to the public information officer for the Nassau County Police Department. Fire trucks from both Elmont and Valley Stream, New York responded to the fire, according to the office. The officer said that she had heard, but not confirmed, reports that two horses had died in the fire. “I am waiting to hear back from officers on the scene,” she said.

Multiple reports on Twitter this evening said that the fire was in barn 60.

The Daily Racing Form's David Grening Tweeted that he had spoken with trainer Jeffrey Englehart, who had 14 horses in the barn, who told him that two horses trained by Wayne Potts had died.

Around 6:30, Mertkan Kantarmaci, a trainer at Belmont, Tweeted, “Fire at Belmont Park with loose horses. Need help.”

A phone call to NYRA Director of Communications Patrick McKenna was not immediately returned to confirm the reports, nor was a phone call to Potts.

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.”

This story will be updated.

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