Reports indicate that a horse and exercise rider were pronounced dead after a tragic incident at Woodbine Racetrack on Tuesday morning.
Peel Region EMS reported that the rider and horse bolted through a fence on the south side of the track around 6:00 a.m. Tuesday before the horse collapsed on top of the man, crushing him. The horse has been identified by 680 News as Tawney's Wish, a three-year-old Ontario-bred filly co-owned by Standardbred owner Alan Alber.
The filly apparently suffered some form of medical emergency, possibly a heart attack.
Sources told The Toronto Star that the rider was Moroccan native Mourad Boudraa, one of the more popular exercise riders at Woodbine.
On Tuesday afternoon, Woodbine Entertainment Group issued the following statement on the morning's devastating news.
All of us in the Woodbine community are deeply saddened by the death of exercise rider, Mourad Boudraa, in this morning's tragic accident. Our thoughts are with his family.
The Ministry of Labour and other officials are investigating to determine the details of the accident, and Woodbine Entertainment Group is offering every possible assistance. The horse he was exercising, Tawney's Wish, had a suspected fatal heart attack.
"We are working closely with officials to support them in their investigation," said Jamie Martin, Executive Vice-President Racing for Woodbine Entertainment Group. "Our hearts and sympathies go out to Mourad Boudraa's loved ones in this sad and very difficult time."
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Mourad Boudra and the connections of Tawney's Wish.