ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) – Gary Stevens toppled from his horse at the finish, came within inches of having his head trampled and lay motionless on the turf for a frighteningly long time.

When he finally came to, Stevens had one question: Who won?

It took a while to sort out, but it wasn’t Stevens.

The Hall of Fame jockey’s horse, Storming Home, was disqualified from Saturday’s Arlington Million for veering into the path of eventual-winner Sulamani and two others at the finish line.

Just before the wire, Storming Home drifted to the right and then suddenly bolted several feet to the outside after the finish. The move knocked Stevens off the horse a few yards past the finish line as the rest of the field galloped by.

The Hall of Fame jockey, whose shoulder was stepped on, lay on the ground motionless for about five minutes as a stunned gallery looked on. He eventually sat up and moved his legs before being carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.

Stevens was listed in stable condition after having his shoulder X-rayed. He was conscious and even inquired about the finish, according to Chaplain Dennis Nelson.

“Everything appears to be fine. He’s moving his arms and legs,” said Craig O’Bryan, Stevens’ California-based agent who saw the race on television.

The spill was the latest in a spate of jockey accidents in the last two months. Two jockeys fractured vertebra in their backs in a five-horse spill at Del Mar on Wednesday, and two more were hurt in a three-horse spill at Belmont Park in July.

The harrowing end came at the finish of what was one of the strongest fields ever for the Million.

Storming Home and Sulamani were running fourth and fifth at the mile mark and began to make their move around the final turn. They both caught leader Perfect Soul down the stretch, with Storming Home edging past Sulamani about 20 yards before the wire.

Storming Home finished a half-length ahead of Sulamani, but the stewards disqualified him for running into the path of Sulamani and two others. It wasn’t clear what caused Storming Home to bolt.

“It happened so fast, just before the wire,” Sulamani’s jockey David Flores said. “I just kept riding my horse, that’s my job. I hope Gary comes back and is safe.”

Stevens, the Hall of Fame jockey who has a starring role in the movie “Seabiscuit,” was the only rider to fall. He was able to avoid serious danger because Storming Home had veered so far to the outside it put him a safe distance from the rest of the field.

Storming Home was initially declared the winner, but when the disqualification was announced the crowd booed loudly and continued to jeer when Flores was interviewed.

“It looked like he ducked out from something, but as for why, who’s to know?” Storming Home trainer Neil Drysdale said. “I know my horse won the race, but like I said, I didn’t see the replay so I can’t even comment on the disqualification.”

Sulamani paid $7.60, $5.20 and $4.40. Paolini and Kaieteur dead-heated for second. Paolini returned $7.20 and

$9, and Kaieteur paid $12 and $13.

Rene Douglas, who was on Kaieteur, issued the objection.

that got Stevens and Storming Home disqualified.

“He spooked from something,” Douglas said. “I only missed him by inches. I was very lucky that I was able to avoid him. It wasn’t his fault, but it cost me. I had to do something. It was a million-dollar race.”

Sulamani, owned by Sheik Mohammed’s Dubai-based Godolphin Racing Inc., was held out of workouts because of a bruised foot earlier in the week.

The European star was the early favorite after a runner-up finish in his last start in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot.

“We would have much preferred not to have won in this manner,” racing manager Simon Crisford said. “It was a shame that Storming Home could not keep the victory.”

Perfect Soul, the leader down the stretch, finished fifth after Storming Home was placed fourth. The Tin Man was sixth, followed by Vangelis, Perfect Drift, Honor in War, Tripat, Touch of Land, Beauchamp Pilot and Olden Times.

Earlier in the $700,000 Beverly D., Heat Haze came on late to overtake Bien Nicole to win the Grade I stakes race for fillies and mares by 1 1/4 lengths. The 4-year-old Heat Haze, trained by Bobby Frankel, won her third race in four starts.

AP-ES-08-16-03 2130EDT