Mattscape Seelster Euthanized

Mattscape Seelster, a winner of more than $651,000 in his long career and a regular on the Woodbine Entertainment circuit for many years, was euthanized

Tuesday morning after suffering a spiral fracture of his left hind cannon bone in the 12th race at Western Fair Raceway yesterday.

“We’re not exactly sure what happened, but he just started to run,” said the horse’s trainer and owner Jerry Sims. “They could have tried to operate and put one or two plates in but he was fighting and fretting and the vet was worried he might not make it out of surgery without re-breaking it.

“It was a very hard decision for Penny (girlfriend Penny Francis) and I to make this morning. I just had a vet in who told me we made the right decision but it’s a tough one.”

Bred by Perretti Farms of New Jersey, Mattscape Seelster was a son of Artiscape from the Matts Scooter mare Mattjestic (a daughter of the great Nadia Lobell). The colt was purchased by Sims from the Seelster Farms consignment at the 2003 Forest City Sale for $15,000 and remained in Sims’ ownership and care throughout his entire career.

“I had another horse by his sire who was a nice horse,” explained Sims. “(Mattscape) wasn’t that big but he was put together well. He was fine to break, no problems. I had $30,000 in the bank when I bought him so I spent half of what I had to get him.” The investment proved worth every penny.

“He was always a nice, happy horse to work with, very likeable with a lot of charisma. He had a ball in his stall to play with all his life and would always step up to greet you.”

A June 15th foal, Mattscape didn’t start during his two-year-old season until December but the following year he earned $112,480 as a sophomore. Victories that year included two legs of the Summertime Series at Mohawk and he finished second by a nose in the final.

At four he shipped to the Meadowlands for the Exit 16W Series where he won an opening leg in 1:51.4 and was fifth in the final. However, the vast majority of his earnings came the hard way through harness racing's overnight route.

“He was supposed to start in the Des Smith (in 2009) and they didn’t have eliminations so I raced him in an overnight at Mohawk. It was a wet and rainy night and he pulled a suspensory in that race. So I had to scratch him from the Des Smith which went for $175,000,” remembers Sims.
“He was never exactly the same after that, up until last fall he was still charging home in the Preferreds at WEG but it put him back a step. He still liked to race, though.”

For many years he was a regular on the WEG circuit and lately he’d been making forays to Western Fair, winning his last race there in February. From ages four through eight he averaged about 30 starts per year and lifetime shows 179 starts with 28 wins, 33 seconds and 17 thirds. His life mark of 1:49.4 came as a four-year-old at Woodbine.

Mattscape Seelster was also the main reason that Sims, who was best known as the trainer of $808,000 winner Aahm Canadian Now before him, was able to go out on his own and open his own stable.

“I’ve bought a lot of horses since I bought him and none are no where near him. He was a classy horse."

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Mattscape Seelster.

(Western Fair Raceway)