The Saratoga Springs horse racing community is in mourning following a late-night trailer crash that killed horses owned by Saratoga-based partnership group, West Point Thoroughbreds.
Per the Albany Times Union, the trailer, which was carrying 10 horses, crashed and caught fire on the New Jersey Turnpike just after 3am on Sunday. Though the driver and passenger of the vehicle escaped without serious injury, all of the horses died onsite.
Two of the 10 horses killed were owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, as reported via the group’s @westpointtbred. Three-year old filly Under the Oaks, sired by 2015 Triple Crown Winner American Pharaoh, was one of the two casualties in the crash. The second horse, Hot Mist, is the progeny of 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist.
Sad to share that two WPT fillies were among the @clementstable horses in the tragic van accident this morning. Rest easy Hot Mist & Under the Oaks. Condolences to her Partners, the Clement team,& all those who loved the ? who perished. Very glad the drivers are ok. ? pic.twitter.com/btJGyppf9l
— West Point Tbred (@westpointtbred) June 7, 2020
West Point Thoroughbreds is the largest Thoroughbred partnership company of its kind in the world. President and CEO Terry Finley, who owns a home in Saratoga, founded the partnership—which splits “shares” in Thoroughbred racehorses among minority owners such as trainers, racing insiders and experts—founded the company in 1991 in New Jersey. It took awhile for the company to rise to prominence, but since 2007, West Point Thoroughbreds’ horses have won more than 50 graded stakes races and amassed nearly 1,000 wins in total.
“These horses give us so much, and we’re truly heartbroken over their deaths,” says CEO Terry Finley in a statement for Saratoga Living.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash.
