He hadn’t stepped a foot on a racetrack since 2008, but during his formative years Fox Valley Kincade was a force to be reckoned with

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In the Sportsmaster gelding's career he banked over $300,000 in purse money and earned a lifetime record of 1:53.1, taken at Maywood Park during the 2003 racing season.

“He wasn’t as sharp towards the end of his career as injuries slowed him,” admitted current and longtime owner Liz Stubits of Monticello, New York. “I claimed him for $12,500 at Yonkers in April of 2005 and lost him for that same price in August of that year. I claimed him back one year later for $10,000 and will have him until the day he dies.”

During the period from 2005 through 2008 Fox Valley Kincade rewarded Stubits with over $60,000 in purse money.

“I decided to retire him in July 2008 and I knew he would have a good life after racing,” Stubits continued. “I loved racing this horse; loved watching him go, aside from the butterflies that were always in my stomach when he raced.”

Stubits was always concerned that Fox Valley Kincade might get hurt while racing, but her real nightmare came four and half months after the horse was retired.

“First his legs blew up like stove pipes and he could not walk,” Stubits related. "He couldn’t even move around the stall and in one month he lost close to 350 pounds. He just stood in one spot for a long time and several vets told me that I should put him down and it was real hard for me to disagree with them.

“He was fighting infections, but thanks to the great efforts of Dr. Gary and Tracy Smith, who started him on antibiotics and constantly checked his blood.

"Then Dr. John Kokinos became involved with Fox Valley Kincade’s recovery. He would draw blood at midnight and test it and give me the results in the middle of the night. Numerous times I would ask John, ‘Is it time to put him down?’ But John’s response was, 'He’s eating now and somehow he seems happy and he's not ready. I will not put him down and I’m going to save him,' he told me.

“John worked on him for months and thankfully he succeeded. But it took a year and a half over that period and he gained so much weight that I now call him ‘Tubby’.”

Since recovering, 'Tubby' has been the mascot for Stubits’ dad’s L&B Tack softball team. He has been ridden in several gymkhana horse shows and has been trail ridden by beginner riders.

"He represents retired standardbreds alongside my sister’s former pacer, The Chosen One, and both marched in Goshen’s St. Patrick Day Parade last year. Both horses represented the Sullivan County Horse Council in the Margaretville, [New York] parade as well as being part of the 2011 Renaissance Parade. Fox Valley Kincade also has competed in a Cowboy Challenge and this past summer he gave rides around the track to the public on All Amateur Day at Monticello Raceway,” Stubits added.

Stubits says she will keep Fox Valley Kincade forever and give him the best life possible.

"He was good to me on the track, the least I can do is be good to him off the track.”

On December 29, Fox Valley Kincade, now 14 years of age, was given an official retirement ceremony at Monticello Raceway.

(Monticello Raceway)