Trainer Sharp hospitalized to remove benign brain tumor

Trainer Joe Sharp underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor in his brain and is currently recovering at a hospital in Houston.

The 10-hour procedure to remove what is called an acoustic neuroma was revealed on Facebook by Sharp’s wife, the former jockey Rosie Napravnik. Napravnik's post notes Sharp is slated to spend Thursday night in an intensive care room at MD Anderson Hospital and then spend the next 3-5 days on a regular floor should all go as planned.

Sharp is expected to have some hearing loss in his right ear due to the condition, Napravnik wrote. 

According to the Cedars-Sinai website, acoustic neuroma is a rare non-cancerous tumor on the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain. There are fewer than 20,000 cases per year in the U.S. Symptoms include hearing loss, ringing in the ear, dizziness, facial numbness, headaches and balance problems.

Sharp, 35, began training in 2014 and has racked up 576 wins while operating mostly in the Midwest. His most accomplished horse has been Girvin, who won the 2017 Haskell (G1) and racked up more than $1.6 million in earnings.