Saratoga: Owner Schwartz injured in golf cart accident

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Less than a week from his 80th birthday, owner Herbert Schwartz was injured in a golf cart accident Friday morning on the backstretch.

Schwartz, who turns 80 next Thursday, was in his golf cart at the far turn of the main track when he was hit head-on by another cart driven by Jason Beides, agent for jockey Jose Lezcano. According to Beides, both carts were in motion at the time of impact.

“I was trying to get out of his way and we went the same way,” Beides said.

Schwartz’s head hit and broke the plexiglass in the front of his golf cart. Schwartz was taken to Saratoga Hospital, where he needed six stitches to close a wound over his right eye, according to Scott Schwartz, Herbert’s son and a trainer on this circuit.

Herbert Schwartz is best known as the owner and breeder of Critical Eye, the champion New York-bred 3-year-old female of 2000 and statebred champion older mare of 2001.

Saratoga police were called to the scene and a police report was filed, according to track stewards, who had yet to see the report. Beides said he has to appear for a hearing in front of the New York Racing Association security panel.

Scott Schwartz was upset Saturday because Beides never called or stopped by his barn to see how his father was doing. Schwartz said it wasn’t until he called Beides to discuss the damage done to the cart that he spoke to the agent.

“I had to call him; that just shows you the class of the guy,” Schwartz said.

Said Beides: “I told him I wasn’t coming out [Saturday] morning and I would see him [Sunday]. I asked how his father was doing.”