Man Hospitalized After 4 Horses Collide At Meadowlands Racetrack

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — After four horses collided during a race at Meadowlands Racetrack on Friday night, one person was hospitalized, police said.

State police said that around 10 p.m. Friday, troopers responded to the track in East Rutherford.

The horses collided during the eighth race, said Trooper Christopher Postorino.

One person had minor injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

Jason Settlemoir, the Meadowlands’ general manager, said on Saturday that all four jockeys were "sore," and that the person who went to the hospital, Brett Beckwith, was recovering.

“This morning I spoke to all of the drivers involved in last night’s accident," he wrote. "Brett Beckwith’s X-rays on his right hand came back negative (nothing broke) but he is swollen and sore, he will be taking the night off at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Brad Chisholm is sore but doing good and will be in the race bike tonight and Joe Bongiorno is sore as well and will be driving too. Anibal Borjas is sore today but is doing fine.”

He also wrote that the horses are "OK, just scraped and bruised."

NJ.com reported that the calamity occurred after a 4-year-old filly named Tennis Queen, who was in the lead, "took a bad step," causing three horses to break stride, and three riders to fall out of their harnesses.

The case remains under investigation, and no additional information is available, Postorino said.