A fire at Northfolk Downs Race Track’s Horse Barn in Chicago burnt down at 4 o’clock this morning, just a day before the opening season. The Barn was occupied by 25 Race Horses, 15 of which are dead, and 12 escaped the building with two of the 12 on fire. The barn is a complete loss with only charred wood pieces left.

A jockey, Albert Ramos, Miami, FL, watched workers as they cleaned up the area. “That’s my best friends,” he said, pointing to the surviving horses. “I love horses more than I do people. I feel like I want to cry.”

Officials have hinted that arson is the suspected cause of the fire. Officials had this to say…

Dan Bucci the Assistant General Manager of the track was able to give us this statement: “It could have been of an incendiary nature because it started in the middle of the barn, not at the end. The only heaters and electrical outlets were in the tack rooms at the ends of the barns.”

Fire Chief Jim Connery had this to say about the incident: “The fire exploded near the center of the barn. Flames were shooting out of the building when we got here. The fire is definitely suspicious.”

We will keep updates as the story unfolds.