Champion Fleet Indian dies of colic

Fleet Indian, one of the few New York-bred runners ever honored with an

Eclipse Award when voted the older mare championship in 2006, has died. The

10-year-old passed away Saturday night due to complications from colic, according to published reports.

Bred by Thomas/Lakin and owned by Paul Saylor, Fleet Indian was trained by

Todd Pletcher. Though she did not win her first stakes until age four -- taking

the Montauk Handicap for New York-breds -- the dark bay made a seamless

transition to open stakes the following year.

Fleet Indian was invincible for much of 2006, taking the Grade 3 Next Move,

Grade 3 Sixty Sails, Obeah, Grade 2 Delaware Handicap, Grade 1 Personal Ensign

and Grade 1 Beldame in succession. The margins of victory were generally big,

though she had to gut out the Beldame score by a head.

Favored at 5-2 in that year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Churchill

Downs, Fleet Indian unfortunately suffered a left front suspensory ligament

injury during the race and did not finish. She was immediately retired with a

mark of 19-13-0-1, $1,704,513.

After going unsold for $3.9 million at the 2007 Keeneland November sale,

Fleet Indian was later sold privately to Summer Wind Farm in Georgetown,

Kentucky. She produced four foals,

with her only starter to date being the Storm Cat colt Storm 'n Indian, a maiden

who finished second in his most recent start at Aqueduct on January 8.

Fleet Indian was by Indian Charlie out of the Afleet mare Hustleeta.