Nova Scotia's most famous harness racing horse stricken with cancer
'We aren’t worried about what he’s going to do going forward as long as he lives'
The most famous harness racing horse to ever come from Nova Scotia is battling cancer.
Somebeachsomewhere is undergoing chemotherapy sessions after being diagnosed with stomach cancer at a veterinary hospital in New Jersey.
The retired harness racer had initially been taken in due to a bout of abdominal pain called colic, according to Brent MacGrath of Schooner Stables in Bible Hill, N.S., the former trainer and driver and a member of the majority ownership group of the horse.
"They found that his intestine was out of place a bit, and they had to do surgery and when they put it back in place they found a small mass that came back positive."
MacGrath said the horse's care and comfort will come first, no matter how the cancer progresses.
But there are millions of dollars at stake. Somebeachsomewhere won $3.3 million in prize money during his illustrious harness racing career.
The 12-year-old horse no longer races but has sired the winners of more than $80 million in winnings, including $22 million in 2017 alone.
"He brought along a full crop last year and lots of horses sire well into their 20s," said MacGrath. "But we aren't worried about what he's going to do going forward as long as he lives and can have a healthy, happy life. That's our main concern."
In his prime during the 2007 and 2008 harness racing seasons, Somebeachsomewhere only lost one of his 21 starts.
He shared the Canadian Horse of the Year award in 2007 and was named the Horse of the Year in both Canada and the United States the following season.
In 2009, Somebeachsomewhere was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.
"He had a very good day yesterday after his first day of chemo," said MacGrath. "He seemed very bright and happy and was eating, so we're all staying very positive."
