Congaree sidelined by colic

Congaree was stricken with colic within hours of arriving at Keeneland late Wednesday and was not entered in Saturday's Commonwealth Breeders' Cup.

Congaree was back in his stall Thursday morning, but that followed a 16-hour process that resulted in Congaree being taken to the nearby Hagyard-Davidson-McGee veterinary clinic, according to his trainer, Bob Baffert.

"We worked on him from about 6 last night until about 9. He wasn't coming out of it. He was in pain for nearly four hours," Baffert said Thursday morning. "There's a point where you have to be aggressive with heavy-duty medicine, and once you do that, you can't run."

Baffert said Congaree might recover in time to race in the Churchill Downs Handicap, a seven-furlong race on May 1, Kentucky Derby Day. A long-range goal is the Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park on May 31.

Congaree, a 6-year-old son of Arazi, has won 12 of 24 lifetime starts. His last victory was the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 29. In his lone start this year, he was fourth in Santa Anita's San Antonio Handicap on Jan. 31.