Horse dies after finish line at Laurel Park ahead of Preakness

Laurel Park is hosting this year's Preakness Stakes while Pimlico Race Course undergoes renovations. On Friday a horse collapsed and died after crossing the finish line in its first career race.

Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell, entered the race as the favorite. The horse finished last. Another Russell trainee, Bold Fact, won the race. After crossing the finish line, Hit Zero began coughing, dropped to its knees, put its head down and died.

"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," said Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for 1/ST Racing.

Benson said the incident often points to a heart condition, but a necropsy will be needed to determine the exact cause.

Fatalities remain rare in horse racing, she added. Every horse that dies on a Maryland racetrack receives a necropsy, followed by a meeting with the trainer to look for abnormalities and prevent future deaths. Sudden-death cases can still be difficult to diagnose when the cause leaves no visible evidence after death.

The Preakness Stakes is scheduled for Saturday.