Somebeachsomewhere’s co-owner and former trainer, Brent MacGrath, has commented further on the status of the ‘Beach,’ who recently began chemotherapy treatments after surgery to remove a small cancerous mass.

MacGrath explained to Trot Insider last week that the star pacer and breeding supersire had commenced a six-week round of chemotherapy after a small mass – roughly the size of half a grape – had been detected and subsequently removed from an area along his intenstine.

While recently in discussion with The Hamilton Spectator, MacGrath specified the type of cancer that the mass contained.

"It was a mass half the size of a grape, but it was large cell lymphoma, which is not good,” MacGrath was quoted as saying. “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?"

MacGrath also took the time to reflect on Beach’s racing days. He stated that the pacing dynamo virtually never got sick, and that is why he was more than surprised to hear that Beach had a cancerous mass.

"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,” MacGrath said. “It was the Simcoe Stakes division at Mohawk Racetrack in his three-year-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."

(With files from The Hamilton Spectator)