Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew was reported to be doing well Sunday after successful surgery to fuse two vertebrae in his neck. A team of surgeons from the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital in Bonsall, California, headed by Barrie Grant, D.V.M., performed the procedure, called an anterior interbody fusion using a Bagby Basket, at Rood and Riddle equine hospital in Lexington.

A Bagby Basket is a steel mesh used to stabilize the fused joint. Also on the surgical team from San Luis Rey were Drs. Richard Pankowski, Sandra Valdez, Jan Sargent-Beach, and Norman Rantanen.

Anesthesia for the 26-year-old stallion was handled by John Hubbell, D.V.M., of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

"Placement went well, and we were very happy with the postoperative films," said Grant. "The horse recovered well and got up like the great athlete that he is. Seattle Slew has made a lot of people look smart for many years, and he continues to do so."

Mickey and Karen Taylor, two of Seattle Slew's original co-owners, expressed gratitude to the surgical team. "We are happy to be past this hurdle and look forward to his rehabilitation," they said. "We are very grateful to the entire surgical team for taking time from their demanding schedules to provide their expertise and talents to help this wonderful horse."

Seattle Slew will return to Three Chimneys Farm in the next few days. His rehabilitation schedule calls for 30 days stall rest followed by 30 days of hand-walking.