The historic and much-anticipated Preakness weekend got off to a tragic start Friday when a horse in his first career race died after crossing the finish line.
Hit Zero, a horse trained by Brittany Russell and owned by ItsTheJHo, LLC, and Evan Trommer, died of a cardiac event after the day’s opening race.
“After pulling up and finishing the race, the horse was unsaddled, began walking back to the barn, and collapsed and ended up suffering catastrophic sudden death,” said Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing Dr. Dionne Benson.
According to reports, the horse began coughing and fell to his knees before putting his head down and dying.
“Veterinarians responded to the incident and the Equine Medical Director initiated a full post-incident review in keeping with Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Equine Fatality Reporting Requirements,” CBS Sports reports.
“Officials said a necropsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death.”
The death toll of racehorses at tracks around the country has gained national headlines in recent years. On Maryland tracks alone, 426 horses have died from 2014 to 2026.
The Preakness Stakes is set to take place on Saturday.