Monarchos grazing lightly

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Monarchos, the 2001 Kentucky Derby winner who had colic surgery Tuesday night, is being hand-walked and allowed to graze lightly, Nuckols Farm owner Charles Nuckols III said Friday afternoon.

A 14-year-old Maria’s Mon horse, Monarchos remains at Haagyard Equine Medical Institute, where the surgery took place, and is not expected to return to Nuckols Farm in Midway, Ky., for at least four or five days, Nuckols said.

Nuckols said Monarchos had a twisted small intestine and that the surgery did not involve resecting, or removing, any of the intestine. Nuckols Farm has sent a groom to hand-walk the horse and allow him to graze for about 10 minutes three times a day.

“His heart rate is down in the upper 30s, which is good and almost normal,” Nuckols said. “If you look at him, he doesn’t know he’s sick.”

Monarchos won the Kentucky Derby for owner John Oxley and trainer John Ward in the race’s second-fastest time of 1:59.97.