At Laurel Park in Maryland, a tragic moment marred Preakness Stakes weekend when Hit Zero, the favorite in his debut and trained by Brittany Russell, collapsed and died shortly after finishing a race. The incident occurred while Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore is closed for renovations and Laurel Park hosts the second leg of the Triple Crown. Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing Dr. Dionne Benson described the collapse and outlined the steps officials take to investigate such sudden deaths.
Hit Zero came into the outing as a promising first-time starter but finished last to Bold Fact, another horse in Brittany Russell’s barn. Witnesses reported that after crossing the finish line, Hit Zero began coughing, dropped to his knees, then lowered his head and did not rise. The scene was immediate and jarring for trainers, jockeys and onlookers who expect the sport to be thrilling but safe.
“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,” Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing Dr. Dionne Benson told WBAL. Those are clinical words for a raw moment, and they underline how quickly a routine day at the track can turn tragic. Officials moved swiftly to secure the area and begin the required procedures once the animal was down.
Dr. Benson cautioned that a sudden collapse like this often points toward a cardiac issue, but emphasized the need for a full necropsy before reaching any conclusions. The veterinary team will run a post-mortem to look for underlying causes and rule out anything preventable. That process can be slow and, frustratingly, inconclusive if the problem was electrical rather than structural.
“Fatalities, first off, are very rare in horse racing overall. It’s less than 1% of 1% of horseracing. Realistically, it’s something that when a horse dies of a sudden death, every horse that dies in Maryland on a race track goes for a necropsy or post-mortem, and then, there is a meeting that follows that so we can work with the trainer to find out if there was anything abnormal about the horse, and, really, the goal is preventing any future fatalities,” Benson said. That procedural response is meant to protect animals and inform trainers, but it can’t undo what happened in the moment.
“But, often, it’s very difficult, especially with sudden death, to figure out what the cause is because, for example, if it’s an electrical abnormality, there’s no evidence of that in the heart after death.” Those words point to a frustrating limitation in veterinary forensic capability. Even comprehensive exams sometimes leave families and stables without clear answers, complicating both grief and steps toward prevention.
The death of Hit Zero lands amid ongoing scrutiny of horse racing safety that resurfaces after every high-profile incident. Advocates and critics alike use these moments to press for changes in training, medication rules and race-day monitoring. Officials at Laurel Park and racing regulators say they are committed to thorough investigations and to using findings to refine safety protocols where possible.
For trainers and owners, the loss of a young horse is both an emotional and a financial blow; for fans, it is a sober reminder of the sport’s risks. Race-day operations at Laurel Park continued under heightened attention as the Preakness Stakes approached. Pimlico’s renovation has shifted the spotlight to Laurel, making this incident felt even more acutely by Maryland racing communities.
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As racing moves forward this weekend, investigators will complete the necropsy and convene with the trainer to see if anything out of the ordinary appeared in Hit Zero’s history or preparation. The Preakness Stakes is set to take place on Saturday, and while competition proceeds, the conversation about animal welfare and safety procedures will remain front and center. Track officials and veterinarians insist on transparency and follow-up, even when the medical evidence proves elusive.
