Man dies after being crushed by horse at Woodbine racetrack

ABOVE: Catherine McDonald reports from Woodbine racetrack, where investigators are trying to determine what caused the death of both a horse and it’s male trainer

TORONTO – An exercise rider has died after a horse fell on top of him at Woodbine racetrack in northwest Toronto early Tuesday morning.

Peel EMS say the victim, identified to Global News as Mourad Boudraa, 40, suffered critical head injuries and could not be revived at the scene. Boudraa had worked at Woodbine for more than four years and was married with one child.

The incident happened around 6 a.m. when police say the horse went into an “unexplained wild gallop” and crushed the trainer into a railing as it collapsed.

Jamie Martin, vice-president of Woodbine Entertainment Group said Boudraa was from Morocco and worked as a freelance exercise rider for a number of trainers at the racetrack.

“I would say it’s a freak accident,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I would say it's a freak accident," he said.

Police say the horse suffered a heart attack and also died but that has not yet been confirmed by a necropsy.

Shawn St. Pierre, a rider at Woodbine Race track said it’s not uncommon for a horse to have a heart attack, comparing it to a person with an undiagnosed heart condition.

The horse, Tawney’s Wish, was a three-year-old dark filly with one start this year and $368 in winnings.

The Ministry of Labour has been called in to investigate.