Eclipse Winner Lost In Fog May Have Cancer

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Posted on Thursday, August 17th, 2006

Doctors at the University of California-Davis veterinary school, have found a mass in the Eclipse winner Lost in the Fog’s spleen that they suspect as lymphoma, trainer Greg Gilchrist announced.

A biopsy was performed on Lost in the Fog Tuesday, two days after he was brought to the medical center an hour away for a mild case of colic treatment. But a biopsy on Lost in the Fog showed what doctors believe to be a cancerous mass. They plan to examine the horse to see if the disease has spread.

Gilchrist said that preliminary tests indicated that the lymphoma appears to be confined to the spleen. Lost in the Fog has won just one of his three starts this year, and Gilchrist had originally thought that quarter cracks were the culprits for the champion’s sub-par efforts. "It turns out he’s been running with this thing inside him this year," the trainer said. "It shows you what kind of warrior this horse is."

Gilchrist added that owner Harry Aleo is extremely concerned about his star, and that "We will do anything we can for the horse. It’s almost a Barbaro-type situation."

Gilchrist noted that doctors have said surgery will likely be necessary for the horse to have a chance at a full, normal life. This type of operation is uncommon, and Gilchrist said they were looking for the best possible surgeon.

On Friday, a miniature camera will be inserted into the horse’s abdomen to check for further signs of cancer, a disease that is relatively rare in horses,according to Dr. Gary Magdesian, chief of equine medicine at UCD’s large animal clinic.

At roughly 37 by 25 centimeters (14-1/2 by 10 inches in circumference), the tumor is the size of a football, according to Magdesian.

Lost in the Fog gained fame among race fans across North America last year when he made seven cross-country trips and won eight stakes, including the King’s Bishop (gr. I). The colt has won 11 of 14 starts and earned $978,099.

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"Eclipse Winner Lost In Fog May Have Cancer" was posted on Thursday, August 17th, 2006 at 9:37 am and is filed under Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Trainers, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.