Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-23

3 Race Horses Dead
After Jamaica Fire;
Intent Among Saved
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
NEW YORK, Mar. 23.-Track
officials today counted eight dead
horses in the ruins of a fire that
whipped through a barn at the
Jamaica race track last night.
Earlier, only five horses were
known to be lost.
officials said seven valuable
race horses and a pony died in
the blaze that wrecked barn %.
Five other horses housed in the
barn were saved.
Firemen kept the blaze from
spreading to nearby barns, filled
with about 500 thoroughbreds
brought here for the opening of
the track April /.
Tenth Within a Year.
It was the third fire at a New
York track in a year, and the
tenth one in the country within
that period.
officials listed these horses as
killed:
Micheo, Tecolete and a pony,
all owned by B. H. Burdens Owl
Stable of Los Angeles; Bee and
Bee, owned by Jennings Small
wood of New York; Sign Here.
Fair Self and Brave Irish, owned
by Pat Torino of New York, and
Star Ruby, owned by Mrs. Anne
Kissler of New York.
Micheo is a full brother of the
stakes-winning Micheo. Teco-
lete was promising 2-year- old.
Horses saved from the fire
were Fleeting Owl, High Chief
and Last Round, all owned by
the Owl Stable; Intent, a big
money winner. owned by Harry
Isaacs, and Benhadar, owned by
Smallwood.
Horses Valued at $4,000.
Value of the dead horses was
unofficially estimated at $4,000
to $4,000. Racing experts said
the two most outstanding ami
mails. Tecolete and Micheo. were
worth $4,000 or more each.
The barn loss was put at
100000, making the total fire
damage range up to $4,000.
Micheo, imported to this
country, previously was owned
by Mrs. John Payson Adams of
San Jose, Calf, the former
Muriel Vanderbilt.
Tecolete, who won his only
start in impressive fashion at
Santa Anita, appeared to be the
most valuable horse lost in the
fire which roared in a 100-foot
high column, visible for 10 miles.
A $16,700 purchase as yearling
Tecolete had been nominated for
the $4,000 added Youthful
Stakes April 20, one of the
tracks major two-year-o tests
Intent, twice winner of the
rich San Juan Capistrano handi-
cap at Santa Anita, was found
racing around the track al
alone in the dark. Intent ano
four others, Fleeing Owl, Last
Round, High Chief and Benha.
dar, raced wildly about the track
area to get away from the fire
Last Round had been nominated
for the Paumonok handicap. the
tracks opening day feature.
Count Turf Led to Safety.
Another well-knoWn horse who
survived the blaze was Count
Turf, winner of the Kentucky
Derby in 1851. The horse was
led to safety from a nearby
stable as f1remen concentrated
their efforts on containing the
blaze. Only two other horses
were in Count Turf's barn, but
18 others were due today.
Track officials said the loss
might have been much higher
if the blaze had occurred a week
later, when the tracks approx
mately 800 stalls would be full
in preparation for opening day
One of the other fires, at Bel
mont Park last September Is,
broke out on the eve of the fall
meeting, and Belmont Park also
had a fire June 16 just after the
close of the spring meeting.
Gerry O'Grady, chief of the
tracks detective detail, said
there was nothing to indicate
any suspicious circumstances
about the fire.
No one was in Barn % when
the fire started, but the blaze
was recorded on an automatic
(See JAMAICA, Page A-l6.)