Vallelujah, 5-year-old N.Y.-bred mare, found dead in Belmont Park barn

The 5-year-old New York-bred mare Vallelujah was found dead in her stall at Belmont Park on Friday, according to a listing on the New York State Gaming Commission website. A necropsy is being performed at Cornell University to try and determine the cause of death.

This death is not believed to be associated with the equine herpesvirus that forced the euthanasia of a horse stabled on Feb. 3. That horse was based in Barn 15. Vallelujah was stabled in barn 62, on the other side of the track.

Vallelujah, who had not raced or shown a published workout since Dec. 31, was trained by Robbie Davis for the ownership group of East Avenue Racing and Sisu Racing Stables. Most of the partners in East Avenue are based in Saratoga Springs. The main gate at Saratoga Race Course leads out onto East Avenue.

A statement put out Saturday by the ownership partnership read: “As many of you know, we suddenly lost our sweet, beloved Vallelujah (Val) yesterday. Words cannot express our grief and deep sorrow. We will be able to report more later but at this time, we just are at an emotional loss. We at East Avenue Racing thank all of you who have reached out and sent beautiful, heartfelt texts and messages. Val took a piece of us with her but she remains in our hearts forever.”

Vallelujah, a daughter of Teuflesberg, won 3 of 21 starts and earned $221,568.

One of those wins came at Saratoga in the summer of 2022 when Vallelujah won a first-level allowance for statebreds at odds of 24-1. She was ridden to victory by Jackie Davis, the trainer’s daughter, and set off a raucous winner’s circle celebration as it was the ownership group’s first win at Saratoga.

Coincidentally, Vallelujah’s half-sister, Mary Union Ave, who has the same owners as Vallelujah, was entered to make her career debut in Saturday’s last race at Aqueduct.