Stotsfold Succumbs to Colic

Peter Harris’s Stotsfold, who finished third a length and a quarter behind Castleton Lyons’ victorious Gio Ponti in the 2009 Arlington Million, died suddenly Wednesday morning at Newmarket of colic-related complications.

In his last start July 2, Stotsfold won the $56,000 Gala Stakes at Sandown and before that captured Sandown’s Grade III Brigadier Gerard Stakes on May 27.

The 7-year-old British-bred gelding was being pointed for the upcoming Arlington Million Aug. 21, but was withdrawn from his final prep in the Group II Sky Bet York Stakes at York July 24 when the colic symptoms first occurred hours before that race.

Owner Harris described Stotsfold’s death as a “devastating blow,” when speaking of the much-traveled stable favorite who was trained by former European star jockey Walter Swinburn.