Silic's son, raised in Kentucky, was being treated for laminitis.
Gladiatorus, who won the 2009 Dubai Duty Free (G1T) and Premio Vittorio di Capua (G1), passed away at Windmill View Stud in County Galway, Ireland. The 19-year-old had stood there for the last four years of his stallion career.
The winner of seven stakes races had been undergoing treatment for laminitis for some time, but stud owner John Lynch, along with his veterinary staff, decided over the weekend to put the son of Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) winner Silic to death.
"We were trying to keep him going for six months but he wasn't getting any better and we had to make the sad choice," stated Lynch, who will miss the gentle and kind-natured stallion. "He was an absolute dote, I sat my grandchildren up on him he was that quiet and kind, and he never turned a hair at anything. He was such a lovely horse to have and we will miss him greatly."
Azienda Agricola Le Ferriere Di Raponi Giampolo bred Gladiatorus in Kentucky. As a juvenile, he started racing in Italy and won six of his nine starts, including four classified races. He finished second in the Gran Criterium (G1) behind Frankie Dettori at the end of the season.
After that, Godolphin bought him, but as a 3-year-old, an injury kept him off the track. After being transferred to Dubai, he ran for Mubarak bin Shafya three times at four, and he never lost. Among these triumphs were the Al Fahidi Fort (G2T) and Dubai Duty Free.
Following his elite victory, he made his way back to Europe and Saeed bin Suroor's yard to compete in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1), where he finished down the pack. After finishing tenth in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita Park, he retired at the end of the 2009 season. His second group 1 race came back in Italy for Godolphin.
"His best year was the same year as Sea The Stars, and Gladiatorus earned a rating of 119 for his group 1 win in Dubai, where he beat Archipenko, Vodka, and Paco Boy," noted Lynch.
2010 saw the start of his stud career in Italy, where he stayed until 2018. Presley (IRE), the best performer by Gladiatorus, was sired by him and placed both first and second on the dual list.
Following that, he relocated to Wiltshire's Withyslade Farm until Lynch's purchase forced him to travel to Galway.
"Marie Sullivan at Godolphin helped me to source Gladiatorus, and it's through her that I found other stallions such as New South Wales, who stood here previously, along with Island House and Gatewood," Lynch remarked of how Gladiatorus came to be in Galway.
"Gladiatorus, like Gatewood, covered only a handful of mares and his oldest Irish-breeds are 3-year-olds, but I think they will show how good he could have been," Lynch noted.