Horse dies after collapse in horror start to Preakness weekend
New York Post • • sports
Key Points:
- Hit Zero, a horse ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., collapsed and died shortly after finishing a race at Laurel Park during the Preakness weekend event.
- Dr. Dionne Benson, Chief Veterinary Officer, reported the horse exhibited coughing and collapsed, which can indicate a heart problem, though no evidence of this was found so far.
- A full necropsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of Hit Zero's death; the horse was trained by Brittany Russell.
- The Black-Eyed Susan event was moved from Pimlico to Laurel Park due to renovations, though Pimlico has a history of horse racing-related fatalities.
- Pimlico has seen several horse deaths in recent years, including Congrats Gal in 2019 and two horses, Homeboykris and Pramedya, in 2016, highlighting ongoing safety concerns in horse racing.