collapsed and died moments after crossing the finish line
On the eve of the Preakness Stakes, a young horse named Hit Zero collapsed and died moments after completing the very first race of its life at Laurel Park, leaving witnesses and the sport itself to reckon once more with the fragility of the animals at its center. The incident, likely rooted in an undetected cardiac condition, arrives at a moment when horse racing is already under scrutiny — a reminder that even the rarest of tragedies carries the full weight of a life. A necropsy will follow, protocols will be reviewed, and the sport will press on, but the questions such a death raises do not dissolve with the weekend.
- A horse named Hit Zero, running in the very first race of its career, crossed the finish line last — then coughed, dropped to its knees, and died in full view of onlookers at Laurel Park.
- The death struck at the worst possible moment: Laurel Park is hosting the Preakness Stakes this year, and what was meant to be a celebratory weekend for the sport opened instead with a young animal's sudden collapse.
- Racing officials pushed back against the surge of criticism, with Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Dionne Benson stressing that such fatalities occur in less than one percent of one percent of all racing events — a statistical rarity that does little to quiet the moral unease.
- A necropsy has been ordered, but investigators face a difficult truth: cardiac and electrical abnormalities often leave no visible trace after death, making a definitive answer far from guaranteed.
- The Preakness Stakes will proceed on Saturday, but the image of Hit Zero's collapse at the finish line of its debut race now shadows the weekend — and renews a debate about whether the sport does enough to protect the animals that make it possible.
Friday evening at Laurel Park, a horse named Hit Zero finished last in the opening race of its career — and then, moments after crossing the finish line, began coughing, dropped to its knees, and died. Trained by Brittany Russell, whose other horse Bold Fact won the same race, Hit Zero had entered as the favorite. What followed was swift and irreversible.
Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing, said the horse had been unsaddled and was walking back toward the barn when it collapsed. She pointed to a possible underlying heart condition as the likely cause, though a necropsy — a post-mortem examination — will be needed to say anything definitive. She cautioned that cardiac and electrical abnormalities often leave no visible trace after death, making diagnosis exceptionally difficult.
The timing deepened the blow. Laurel Park is standing in for Pimlico Race Course this year as the host of the Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, while Pimlico undergoes renovations. A weekend meant to celebrate the sport instead began with a death on the track.
Benson was careful to contextualize the tragedy, noting that fatalities occur in less than one percent of one percent of all horse racing events. She described the protocols that follow every such death in Maryland: a mandatory necropsy, then a meeting between veterinarians and the trainer to examine what may have been missed and how to prevent it from happening again.
The Preakness will run on Saturday. Investigations will proceed. But the sight of a young horse falling at the finish line of its very first race is not easily set aside — and the questions it raises about the sport's relationship with the animals it depends on remain, for now, without clean answers.
Friday evening at Laurel Park, a horse named Hit Zero collapsed and died moments after crossing the finish line in the first race of its career. The horse, trained by Brittany Russell, had come into the race as the favorite but finished last. Another of Russell's horses, Bold Fact, won the race. But as Hit Zero pulled up after the finish, witnesses say the animal began coughing, dropped to its knees, and died.
The incident unfolded with brutal swiftness. According to Dr. Dionne Benson, the Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing, Hit Zero was unsaddled and began walking back to the barn when it collapsed. The death was catastrophic and sudden. Benson told a local news station that such a collapse often signals an underlying heart condition, though the exact cause remains unknown until a necropsy—a post-mortem examination—can be performed.
The timing compounds the tragedy. Laurel Park is hosting this year's Preakness Stakes, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, because Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is undergoing renovations. What should have been a weekend of celebration for the sport instead opened with the death of a young horse on its debut.
The incident immediately reignited long-standing criticism of horse racing's safety record and animal welfare practices. Deaths at the track have become a flashpoint in debates about whether the sport adequately protects its animals. Yet Benson pushed back against the notion that such fatalities are commonplace. She emphasized that deaths occur in less than one percent of one percent of all horse racing events—a vanishingly small fraction. She also outlined the protocols in place: every horse that dies on a Maryland racetrack undergoes a necropsy, followed by a meeting between veterinarians and the trainer to identify any abnormalities and work toward preventing future incidents.
Benson acknowledged the difficulty of determining cause in cases of sudden death, particularly when electrical or cardiac abnormalities are involved. Such conditions leave no visible evidence in the heart after death, making diagnosis nearly impossible without advanced testing that may not be available. The goal, she said, is prevention—understanding what went wrong so it doesn't happen again.
Hit Zero's death will be investigated. A necropsy will be performed. Trainers and veterinarians will meet to discuss what happened and what might have been missed. But for now, the Preakness Stakes weekend begins under a shadow. The race itself is scheduled for Saturday, and the sport will move forward. But the image of a young horse collapsing at the finish line of its first race will linger—a stark reminder of the risks inherent in the sport, and the questions that remain unanswered about why it happened.
Notable Quotes
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.— Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing
Fatalities are very rare in horse racing overall. It's less than 1% of 1% of horseracing.— Dr. Dionne Benson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What was Hit Zero doing in that race in the first place? Was there any indication something was wrong?
The horse came in as the favorite, so trainers and veterinarians presumably thought it was fit to run. But it finished last and collapsed immediately after. There's no indication in the record that anything seemed amiss beforehand.
The trainer had another horse in the same race that won. Does that seem odd?
Not necessarily. Trainers often have multiple horses in a card. But it does mean Brittany Russell was watching two of her animals in the same race—one thriving, one dying.
The vet said it's less than 1% of 1%. That's tiny. So why does this feel like it matters so much?
Because it happened at all, and because we don't know why. A young animal died at the moment of exertion. That's the kind of thing that makes people ask whether the sport is worth the risk.
Can they figure out what killed it?
They'll try. They'll do a necropsy. But the vet was honest—if it was a heart electrical problem, there might be nothing to find. Sometimes sudden death stays sudden.
So this could happen again and nobody would see it coming?
That's the fear. And it's why this death, rare as it is, keeps the conversation alive.