Hit Zero Dies After 1st Career Race at Laurel Park as Preakness Weekend Opens

10 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 15

Hit Zero, the betting favorite in Friday’s opener at Laurel Park, collapsed and died after finishing last in his first career race as Preakness weekend began.
Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for 1/ST Racing, said the horse was unsaddled and walking back to the barn when it collapsed, calling it a case of catastrophic sudden death.
A necropsy will determine the cause, though Benson said sudden deaths often point to a heart condition and can be difficult to confirm if the trigger was an electrical abnormality.
Laurel Park is hosting this year’s Preakness while Pimlico undergoes renovations, putting renewed scrutiny on horse-racing safety ahead of Saturday’s Triple Crown event.
Benson said fatalities are less than 1% of 1% of races in the sport and that every Maryland racetrack death is reviewed to help prevent future incidents.

As a top trainer faces sudden tragedy, will it overshadow her historic bid to win the Preakness Stakes?

With AI now able to predict fatal heart conditions, was this young racehorse's death a preventable tragedy?