CLEVELAND, Ohio – A memorial ceremony at MGM Northfield Park on Sunday will honor Hunter Myers, an Ohio native and rising star in harness racing, who died Thursday following a racing accident the night before in western Pennsylania.
The ceremony, in conjunction with the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, will be held at 5:50 p.m. after which the first race at Northfield Park will be run in silence, according to Harness Racing News.
Also in honor of Myers, 27, whose home track was Northfield Park, the track’s Iron Maiden Series will be re-named the Hunter Myers Memorial Series.
Myers was injured Wednesday in a racing accident at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows in Washington, Pennsylvania, according to a published report from Harness Racing News. He died the following day.
The Meadows cancelled its racing for the remainder of the week out or respect for the racing community, the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association announced on its Facebook page.
Growing up in Williamsport, Ohio, Myers followed other family members into the sport, including his father, who was a trainer, according to Harness Racing News.
Myers driving career began in 2014 at the age of 16. That year he won 19 of 110 races while competing at Ohio fairs and was honored with the Peter Haughton Memorial Award.
Throughout his nearly 11-year career, Myers amassed an impressive 2,450 victories and over $21.7million in purses, according to Harness Racing news.