The 151st running of the Preakness Stakes will be one of the horse racing year’s most celebrated weekends. Yet, on the eve of the main event, it ended in heartbreak as a horse making his racing debut never made it home. It hit fans and critics alike hard, but none more so than his owner, who penned an emotional note.

Because for Hit Zero’s owner, Justin Horowitz, the horse wasn’t just a regular animal. Horowitz named Hit Zero after his daughter Bailey, who watched the debut.

“It is with deepest sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful horse, Hit Zero,” Horowitz wrote on social media. “After his debut race today at Laurel Park, he suffered a sudden medical event and passed away.”

“What was supposed to be a dream-come-true day to kick off his career—on my son’s 6th birthday no less—ended in the tragedy that every horse lover fears.”

The incident took place during Black-Eyed Susan Day, which takes place a day before the Preakness Stakes. The Maryland-based thoroughbred was making his racing debut in the Maiden Claiming. Trained by Brittany Russell, he was the favorite to win the first race of the day. Hit Zero and jockey Sheldon Russell finished last, unable to match pre-race expectations.

However, reports indicated that after crossing the finish line, Hit Zero started coughing, collapsed, and then passed away shortly after that. The news was confirmed via a press release from the Maryland Racing Commission.

“The Maryland Racing Commission confirms that Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell and owned by ItsTheJHo, LLC, and Evan Trommer, died of an apparent cardiac event on Friday, May 15, 2026, following Race 1 at Laurel Park,” the statement reads.

“Veterinary personnel responded immediately. The Commission extends its acknowledgment of this loss to the horse’s connections and to the equine community. The Equine Medical Director attended to Hit Zero and has initiated a full post-incident review consistent with Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Equine Fatality Reporting Requirements.”

The thoroughbred was one of eleven horses that trainer Brittany Russell had in races during the Black-Eyed Susan Day. In fact, one of her horses, Bold Fact, won the Maiden Claiming. However, that win was likely marred by Hit Zero’s death. Authorities have not announced an official cause of death yet, although Dr. Dionne Benson believed it was heart failure.

Dr. Dionne Benson opens up on Hit Zero’s death

Few expected this result to happen ahead of the Preakness Stakes. That’s even if horses have died in the past before and even during the Preakness Stakes. In fact, Pimlico has a history of the same with Congrats Gal collapsing and dying after running the 2019 Miss Preakness Stakes. That took place on the Friday before the Preakness, a similar situation to Hit Zero.

Congrats Gal struggled in the final stretch as the jockey eased her over the line before collapsing. A similar situation took place in 2016 when two horses died on the same day. Homeboykris was the first, as the colt passed away after celebrating a victory. The horse took the picture as the winner, only to collapse after that.

Officials have since released that the horse died of heart failure. Then, later on in the day, a four-year-old filly had to be euthanized after she suffered a catastrophic broken left front leg. The jockey broke his collarbone in the fall. Yet Hit Zero’s official cause remains pending.

Still unconfirmed, officials are waiting for the results of a post-mortem before issuing a definitive cause. However, the Chief Veterinary Officer for 1/ST Racing, Dr Dionne Benson, addressed the situation and explained the protocols.

“Fatalities, first off, are very rare in horse racing overall,” Benson told WBAL-TV11 News. “It’s less than 1% of 1% of horse racing.”

“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.”

She further revealed that more often than not, it’s tough to find the cause.

“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,” she added.

For Justin Horowitz, no post-mortem result will change what that day meant: a horse named for his daughter, gone on his son’s birthday. The answers may come eventually, but for now, Bailey and her father will be forced to wonder what could have been.