About 17 horses died after a fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in a backstretch barn at Saratoga Casino Hotel's harness track in Saratoga Springs.
The barn housed about 18 horses and was destroyed, while security staff, nearby NYRA personnel and firefighters rescued several others before the blaze grew too large to control.
No people were injured, but live harness racing on June 16 was canceled as crews fought the advanced fire and worked to keep it from spreading to nearby barns and structures.
The death toll rose from an earlier estimate of seven horses, and Saratoga Springs fire officials said the cause remains under investigation.