8-Year-Old Horse Dies In Racing Injury At Los Alamitos

CYPRESS, CA — An 8-year-old gelding with 43 career races and 37 first- or second-place finishes died after suffering a racing injury at Los Alamitos Race Course last night, state horse racing officials confirmed Sunday.

Empressum was injured in Saturday's eighth race. The official race chart said he took a "bad step leaving," pulled up and was taken off by ambulance.

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The Daily Racing Form said the even-money favorite "broke slowly and appeared to take an awkward step a few strides into the race. He was unable to put weight on his right hind leg." The publication quoted Jeff Blea, the California Horse Racing Board's equine medical director, saying the horse "collapsed and died" on the track.

Mike Marten, the CHRB's public information officer, told City News Service that Empressum "was vanned off but died (not euthanized) in the horse ambulance."

Empressum had 43 official races in his career, with 26 first-place finishes and 11 second-place finishes. His career earnings topped $2.7 million, according to the industry website Equibase. He had won his prior race, at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on May 30.

He is the 11th horse to die from a racing or training injury at Los Alamitos this year. The Cypress track experienced 19 racing and training deaths in 2025, according to CHRB data.

— City News Service