Successful Appeal on mend

Last year's leading freshman sire, Successful Appeal, underwent colic surgery in Lexington, Ky., on Monday for a rare intestinal problem but is expected to recover fully, according to officials of Walmac Farm, where Successful Appeal stands at stud.

Successful Appeal, a 9-year-old son of Valid Appeal, began showing signs of colic Monday morning, according to a farm spokesman, Steve Sharp, and was taken to the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, where he underwent surgery at about 4:30 Monday afternoon.

"The small intestine was trapped over the nephrosplenic ligament, which is rare," said attending surgeon Dr. Rolf Embertson. The ligament is between the spleen and the left kidney, according to Sharp.

"The good news is that there's no incision inside the horse," Sharp said. "He didn't have to have any of his intestine removed."

Embertson estimated that the stallion could return to breeding in about four weeks if the incision heals well.

Successful Appeal, the sire of graded stakes winners Closing Argument and Lunarpal and four other stakes winners, stands at Walmac in Lexington for $25,000.