Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Animal Kingdom had successful surgery to repair a hairline slab fracture, Team Valor International president Barry Irwin said in a statement July 7.
Dr. Dean Richardson performed the June 30 operation at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. It required two screws to compress the fracture.
“The leg would have healed on its own, but by using screws we will have a more reliable, consistent time schedule for healing and have given the horse his best chance to minimize any arthritis that might occur in the leg had we just let nature do its job,” Richardson said.
Animal Kingdom returned to Graham Motion’s barn at Fair Hill Training Center last weekend after the surgery. The Leroidesanimaux colt will have two weeks of stall rest and plans call for him to begin walking for two weeks before beginning exercise on a water treadmill for 30 days.
Animal Kingdom’s team expects him to return to training after about 90 days.