Monarchos on the mend from second surgery

Monarchos, the 2001 Kentucky Derby winner, is recovering well from his second colic surgery in 16 months, Nuckols Farm owner Charles Nuckols III says.

Monarchos returned to the Midway, Ky., farm on Aug. 11 after undergoing emergency surgery July 31 at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute.

The 14-year-old Maria’s Mon stallion “now has about half of his paddock for grazing,” Nuckols said in a press release issued Wednesday. “We have slowly allowed his food intake to increase, we are no longer using the muzzle, and he is off all his medications. We are just thrilled with his progress, his suture line looks very good, and we are very optimistic about his future.”

Nuckols added that the farm appreciates the calls and notes it has received from fans of Monarchos, who is one of only two horses to complete the Derby’s 1 1/4 miles in under two minutes. The other was Secretariat.