At the end of the 2007 season, vets were shocked B Strike Three was in such good health after finding the colt had a very serious medical condition. What the colt has done after just six starts in 2008 has been remarkable.
The Guelph Mercury has reported that a routine vet check was performed at the end of last season to complete a sale of the brown Striking Sahbra son. What was found was an enlarged testicle pressing against the scrotal cord.
"When they found that out, the vets couldn't believe that he was still alive," Ben Robards III, B Strike Three's breeder-owner, told The Guelph Mercury.
"They told us that normally in that situation, the horse develops colic and dies."
For the connections, the non-sale of the smallish performer proved to be a blessing in disguise.
One of the colt's four wins this season came Saturday, June 28, when the Raz MacKenzie-trained colt recorded a 1:53.4 Canadian Record while winning a $120,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Final for driver Rick Zeron at Georgian Downs.
"This horse just loves to be out there working," Zeron told The Guelph Mercury. "He is a pleasure to sit behind, because you can do two or three moves with him and he'll still go forward at the end. He's the real deal."
With over $197,000 in purse earnings from his six starts, B Strike Three has now banked in excess of $550,000 from his 17 career starts, eight of which have been victories.
(With files from The Guelph Mercury)