Rider dies in horse training incident at Los Alamitos Race Course

A professional horse rider was killed Friday while training a filly at Cypress’ Los Alamitos Race Course.

Alfredo Luevano, 53, was found on the ground early Friday morning near the back of the track where he had been conducting training exercises with a 2-year-old horse, according to a release from the race course. Luevano was rushed to a Long Beach hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The course said in a statement there were no eyewitnesses to the fall. The filly Luevano was training— named Fly From The Fire —was uninjured but would be removed from the next race “as a precaution,” the course said.

“On behalf of the Los Alamitos Race Course family, we express our deepest condolences to Mr. Luevano’s family members and friends,” said Los Alamitos Race Course spokesperson Orlando Gutierrez.

Luevano, a native of Zacatecas, Mexico, was an experienced rider, spending most of his professional career in Mexico and Colorado, according to the course. He was a licensed exercise rider, riding horses to condition them for racing.

Luevano is survived by his wife, five children and six grandchildren.

The course‘s release said it planned to hold a moment of silence for him before Sunday’s race.