Superstar stallion has cancer
Somebeachsomewhere is sick, very sick.
Arguably the greatest Standardbred pacer in history who defeated every horse he ever met, Somebeachsomewhere is now battling his greatest foe with the outcome totally unclear.
The 12-year-old stallion who has been based at Hanover Shoe Farms of Pennsylvania for his illustrious stud career has undergone surgery for the removal of a small cancerous tumour in his small intestine. Chemotherapy was started last Saturday as the racing world watches.
Cancer appears to not be nearly as common in horses as the human species but the facts are unclear. There is no requirement for autopsies when horses die so there is a suspicion that there are far more instances of the disease than can be proven.
When the news broke of the situation, it was sobering and perhaps most so for Brent MacGrath, who headed the syndicate of Atlantic Canada enthusiasts who raced Somebeachsomewhere and still maintain a majority interest.
“It’s always been said that the great horses — and I mean truly great horses — never seem to get sick and there are plenty of examples. No one can explain why, other than assume they have extraordinary immune systems that are able to battle whatever issues they may face,” says MacGrath from his Truro, Nova Scotia, home.
“When we raced Beach there was just one occasion that he was under the weather. It was the Simcoe Stakes division at Mohawk Racetrack in his threeyear-old season.
“He won, but it was clear he was struggling and we discovered he’d taken on a mild bug, which we treated right away.
“He bounced back quickly three weeks later with that 1:46.4 world record mile in Kentucky. Knowing him the way I do, it’s hard to imagine him dealing now with cancer.”
Everything about Somebeachsomewhere was proudly Canadian as he created a resumé second to none in a career that saw him start 16 of his 21 in this country — and one of the most memorable came at Flamboro Downs.
The occasion was the 2008 Confederation Cup back when it was still a meaningful race. Against the best field ever at Flamboro, he produced a most electrifying showing, running away from the field in world-record time.
MacGrath says the surgery to remove the tumour took place at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in New Jersey.
“It was a mass half the size of a grape but it was large cell lymphoma, which is not good. But he took the surgery well and is handling the chemo fine by all reports. That’s encouraging because many horses do not. While people will talk about the potential revenue loss, for us it is all about the happiness and health of the horse. How could it not be after what he has given us?”
Purchased for $40,000 as a yearling, Somebeachsomewhere earned $3.3 million for the Schooner Stable in two seasons of racing.
He then went to stud with the ownership electing not to openly syndicate the horse, which was criticized at the time because most horses that go to stud fail to be commercial successes.
That has not been the case with this horse.
Six crops have raced and he has transformed the breed. Not everyone is a champion but by every gauge, Somebeachsomewhere has succeeded in the sales ring and on the racetrack.
His offspring have won $84 million to date.
Should Somebeachsomewhere not win this final challenge, it will be a calamity for the harness racing breed. It’s a possibility no one wants to consider, but there remains hope.
For people who admire equine athletes of any breed, Somebeachsomewhere is a touchstone.
He handled every challenge ever put in his path and if any animal is capable of dealing with this latest one it would be him.