On June 16, 2026, a fire tore through a barn at the Saratoga Casino Hotel Harness Track in New York, killing 17 horses, including Arlanda, Crazy Jet, Five Star Lou, and Tropical Cyclone, who were trapped inside with nowhere to escape.

According to PETA, which sent a letter to police alleging criminal wrongdoing, the barn was an aging 1940s-era building that reportedly had no smoke detectors, no sprinkler system, no heat alarms, and no fire suppression equipment of any kind. Saratoga Harness Racing, Inc. reportedly receives tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies every year, yet apparently never invested in the basic fire-safety equipment that could have warned staff in time to get these horses out alive.

Under New York law, unjustifiably injuring or killing a horse used for racing is a felony. PETA is asking authorities to investigate and pursue criminal cruelty charges against Saratoga Harness Racing and its principals for allegedly knowing the risks these horses faced and failing to act.

Seventeen horses should not have to die trapped behind walls with no way to sound an alarm. This petition calls on the Saratoga County District Attorney to fully investigate this fire and pursue charges where warranted, and on the New York State Gaming Commission to require smoke detectors, sprinklers, and heat alarms in every barn at every racetrack that receives public subsidy money.

No amount of taxpayer funding should come without the bare minimum protection a smoke detector provides. Sign the petition to demand accountability for these horses and mandatory fire safety at every publicly subsidized racetrack in New York.