Racehorse Named for Boy Who Beat Eye Cancer at 7 Months

When Roddy Valente's grandson Michael was diagnosed with eye cancer in both eyes at 7 1/2 months old, doctors told him that just 12 years earlier, they would have removed one eye immediately and hoped to save the other. Today, that same boy is a 13-year-old basketball star with perfect vision and zero cancer.

Valente, a longtime New York horse breeder, recently honored his grandson in a special way. He named his homebred racehorse Miracle Michael after the teen who defied the odds.

The 2-year-old colt made his debut at Saratoga Race Course with Michael's whole family watching. Despite some starting gate antics, Miracle Michael pushed hard to finish second in his first race, showing the same fighting spirit as his namesake.

"He has good temperament. He reminds me of his namesake," Valente said. "I know he's going to be a hard trier, and that's what Michael is."

When baby Michael was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a cancer that starts in the retina, his family rushed him to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. The news was devastating.

"We were just heartbroken and scared more than anything. You get consumed by it," Valente remembered.

But Michael responded remarkably well to chemotherapy. After just four treatments, the cancer cleared up more and more each month. Doctors saved not only his life but both his eyes.

Why This Inspires

Michael now goes for annual cancer screenings and has remained cancer-free for over 12 years. He's become a talented point guard in basketball and loves joining his grandfather at the races.

This isn't even the first horse Valente has named for Michael. Eye Love Michael, a 2012 gelding, went undefeated with a perfect 6-for-6 racing record.

Trainer Bruce Levine, who has worked with Valente for over 30 years, watched Michael grow from a baby fighting cancer to a healthy teen. "We've watched his kids grow; they were like maybe 8 years old and 10 when we first met them. Now they've got kids. We've watched the whole tree grow."

Miracle Michael has big races ahead this fall, including a stallion stakes in late November. But he's already won what matters most: serving as a living reminder of hope during impossible times.

"Don't ever give up and have faith," Valente said. "I think he is living proof of that."