Laurel Park horse death Friday sparks renewed criticism before Preakness

LAUREL, Md. — A horse died after the opening race on Friday at Laurel Park, prompting renewed criticism from animal advocates as Preakness weekend festivities began.

Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell and owned by ItsTheJHo LLC and Evan Trommer, died “of an apparent cardiac event” after Race 1 at Laurel Park, according to a statement from the Maryland Racing Commission, which oversees and regulates the harness and thoroughbred horse racing industry in the state.

Race officials said veterinary personnel responded immediately but could not save the 3-year-old colt, which was jockeyed by Russell’s husband, Sheldon, and was making its racing debut. A necropsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, according to Maryland racing officials.

“We recognize the significance of this loss and are committed to conducting a thorough, transparent process,” the Maryland Racing Commission wrote in a statement. “The Commission will report findings in accordance with HISA disclosure requirements once the necropsy and review are complete.”

A spokesperson for 1/ST Racing said that “1/ST and the Maryland Jockey Club have done numerous studies since 2020 to find the cause of sudden deaths,” but did not share those figures.

Between 2014 and the end of 2025, there were 425 horse deaths in the state of Maryland, according to Jennifer Sully of Horseracing Wrongs, a nonprofit advocating to end the sport. The group obtained the data through a public information request. That number has climbed to at least 427, Sully said, counting another death at Laurel in January.

Sully told The Baltimore Sun that such deaths are “business as usual.” There were 24 horse deaths at Laurel Park in 2025, according to Horseracing Wrongs, which is planning a protest outside Laurel Park on Saturday before the 151st Preakness Stakes.

Sully said she sent a public records request to the Maryland Racing Commission for the first four months of 2026 but has not heard back.

In a post on X, Brittany Russell said Hit Zero “suffered a medical event walking home after his debut at Laurel,” which is the home track for the Maryland-based trainer. “He was truly a family horse. We are heartbroken,” she said.

Justin Horowitz, owner of Hit Zero, wrote a tribute post on Instagram, thanking his co-owner Evan Trommer “for his constant support and encouragement, trainers Brittany Russell, Emma Wolfe, and Madison Meyers for their tireless effort and care with Hit Zero since I purchased him as a yearling, Sheldon for riding with confidence and compassion, and lastly, to all of the caretakers along the way for their care, hard work, and love of Hit Zero.”

The racing industry has long faced criticism from activist groups and animal rights organizations over the proper handling of racehorses, most of which are aged 2 to 4.

In 2020, Congress created the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to help reduce equine deaths and injuries. HISA reported a dip in fatalities from 1.24 deaths per 1,000 starts this time last year to 0.95 deaths in the first three months of 2026.

Later on Friday, during Race 5, Long Straw and Typhoon Kuhn collided on the final stretch and unseated a jockey. Both horses are fine, according to racing officials. Typhoon Kuhn jockey Carlos Lopez was tended to and walked off with pain.

The Maryland Jockey Club has previously canceled weekends of horse racing at Laurel Park when multiple fatal injuries occurred. In April 2023, two colts suffered injuries and were later euthanized, which led to a decision to halt the racing card. In December 2021, two racing weekends were nixed after a series of catastrophic breakdowns raised questions about the dirt’s surface. Racing officials added 1,200 tons of coarse sand to address the issue, in part blaming the winter weather.

Friday’s incident came as the region prepares for the Preakness Stakes weekend festivities at Laurel Park, which is hosting racing while Pimlico Race Course undergoes a $400 million renovation. It was not the first time a horse had died during Preakness weekend events.

In 2019, the filly Congrats Gal collapsed and died while running in the Miss Preakness Stakes on the Friday before the Preakness. The horse faltered in the upper stretch during 83-degree heat and was eased across the finish line before dying.

In 2016, two horses died during the early races on Preakness Saturday at Pimlico. Homeboykris, a 9-year-old Maryland-bred gelding, collapsed and died after winning the first race of the day as a 9-1 underdog. The horse fell on the way back to the barn after leaving the winner’s circle.

Later that day, Pramedya, a 4-year-old filly, suffered a catastrophic broken left front leg during the fourth race and was euthanized on the track. Jockey Daniel Centeno suffered a broken right collarbone in the fall and was taken to a local hospital.

Kathy Guillermo, the senior vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said Hit Zero’s death requires follow up.

“I want to know what medication the horse had been on the last several months, what physical condition the horse was in, what layoffs he may have had, any period of injury or illness,” Guillermo said. “There’s a lot to be determined before we really know what happened to him.”