TORONTO -- An exercise rider died Tuesday after being crushed by a thoroughbred at Torontos Woodbine Racetrack in what officials described as a "freak accident." Police said the rider was in the saddle around 6 a.m., when the horse went into an "unexplained wild gallop," showing signs of medical distress. The rider, who was identified as Mourad Boudraa, 40, was crushed into the track railing and then by the weight of the horse as it collapsed. Jamie Martin, vice-president of Woodbine Entertainment Group, said Boudraa was originally from Morocco and had three to four years of experience as an exercise rider. "He was a freelance so he worked for a number of trainers," Martin said. "I would say its a freak accident." The horse, Tawneys Wish, died of what Woodbine Racetrack officials said was believed to be a heart attack. The three-year-old dark filly had one start this year and $368 in winnings. Mike Pownall, an equine veterinarian, said the horses cause of death wont be known until a necropsy is performed. "Its like when you find those athletes that suddenly die and you find theres a heart defect, that would be the human equivalency," Pownall said. "You have no idea it was existing, or you could prevent it, or you could do anything to alter the course." In 2011, Canadian Olympic champion Eric Lamaze was riding his horse Hickstead in Italy when the animal suddenly collapsed and died of an acute aortic rupture. The horse had carried Lamaze to gold and silver at the Beijing Olympics in show jumping. The Ontario Racing Commission, which requires a necropsy whenever a racehorse dies, collects information for a database on common racehorse injuries in the hopes of minimizing future problems, Pownall said. Pownall said working with horses carries inherent risk and those involved in the industry are all too aware of what can go wrong. "They know the potential for unexplained, sudden things to happen," he said. "Its a hazard of the job." But in the tight-knit horseracing community in Canada, word travels fast when there is an injury or fatality, he said. "I was sad for the horse, sad for the rider. Nobody wants that. Im proud of the riders that go out there every day and proud of the horses that go out there," he said, adding that Woodbine Racetrack is a "well-regarded track" in terms of safety standards. Officials from the provincial Ministry of Labour are investigating the accident. A necropsy on the horse is set to be performed at the University of Guelph. Cheap Josh Manson Jersey . And by all indications, the team is expected to select phenom Connor McDavid with their selection. The Buffalo Sabres, who were knocked down to the second overall pick after finishing with the worst regular season record, are expected to take the other generational player in Jack Eichel. Ducks Jerseys Outlet . UCI President Brian Cookson said Wednesday the commission will investigate allegations "that the UCI has been involved in wrongdoing in the past -- allegations which have done so much to hurt the credibility of the UCI and our sport. http://www.cheapducksjersey.com/ . - Quarterback Brady Quinn says he has been released by the Miami Dolphins. Cheap Jakob Silfverberg Jersey . In an interview with La Presse this week, the five-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time NHL scoring leader specifically took aim at wingers Thomas Vanek and Max Pacioretty, saying they cant show up in a 7-4 win over the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final and come up empty in Game 6. Cheap Ducks Jerseys Free Shipping . A broadcast source said the deal is for five years. The agreement calls for a minimum of 17 regular-season games as well as the East and West Division finals being broadcast annually on ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNEWS.MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings arent wasting any time getting their draft picks signed. The team announced Tuesday that first-round draft pick Teddy Bridgewater and seventh-rounders Shamar Stephen and Brandon Watts have signed their contracts. The Vikings were also working on finishing first-rounder Anthony Barrs contract. The deals leave only three unsigned picks from the Vikings class. The Vikings ttraded up to get Bridgewater, a quarterback from Louisville, with the last pick of the first round so they could lock him into a four-year contract that includes a team option for the fifth season.dddddddddddd Under the NFLs salary slotting system, Bridgewater will get just under $7 million over four years. Stephen is a defensive tackle from Connecticut and Watts is a linebacker from Georgia Tech. ' ' '