Belle Watling, the
Chilean-bred mare who is still looking for her first North American victory
since building a winning reputation in her homeland, underwent myectomy surgery
after she ran ninth in the United Nations Stakes (G1) at Monmouth on July 2.
Trainer Patrick Biancone said
the 5-year-old daughter of Dushyantor underwent the surgery Wednesday (July 6).
“The jockey said she could
not breathe,” Biancone said, “so we tried the surgery.”
In a myectomy, the
veterinarian cuts the two strap muscles in a horse’s throat to change the
position of the larynx in the airway. It is meant to stop a horse from flipping
its palate, which restricts the flow of air.
Belle Watling won 13 of 16
starts in Chile – including the last 10 in a row – before she was brought to
the United States last fall. She has made five starts in the U.S., with her best stakes efforts a pair of
fourths in the The Very One (G3) at Gulfstream in February and the Sheepshead
Bay (G2) at Belmont
in May.
The mare could start in the
$200,000 Taylor Made Matchmaker Stakes (G3) here on July 31 if all goes well.