Horse of the Year and Central Kentucky sire Conquistador Cielo has returned to his normal routine at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Kentucky after spending four days at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee equine clinic in Lexington recovering from a bout of colic that required surgery.Claiborne assistant manager Gus Koch said on Tuesday that the 22-year-old son of Mr. Prospector is back on his daily schedule and is expected to have a routine breeding season next year. Conquistador Cielo covered 69 mares in 2000.

Conquistador Cielo was sent to the clinic after he developed signs of colic on December 5. He subsequently underwent surgery to remove six feet of small intestine, which had strangulated itself because a benign tumor of fat cells that restricted blood flow. Conquistador Cielo returned to Claiborne on Saturday.

From his first 16 crops, Conquistador Cielo has sired 62 stakes winners, including 18 group/graded stakes winners. He is the sire of multiple Grade 1 winner and $2,857,886-earner Marquetry and stakes winners Forty Niner Days, Wagon Limit, Lexicon, and Northcote Road.

Conquistador Cielo, who will stand the 2002 season for $15,000, has progeny earnings of $50,770,011 through Monday.—Liane Crossley