'That was a tough one' - Pletcher on death of $8.2 million record-breaking filly

Three-year-old filly America's Joy, who sold for a record-breaking $8.2 million to Mandy's Pope's Whisper Hill Farm at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, suffered a fatal injury during training at Saratoga on Sunday.

The filly, by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and out of 2016 Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady, was working in preparation for her debut at the track next month for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Very sadly, she suffered a sesamoid fracture, fell after completing her breeze, and broke her neck, according to the New York Gaming Commission's equine incident database.

Pletcher, quoted by Daily Racing Form, said: “It’s very unfortunate, she was a very talented filly, a very sweet filly to be around. We hadn’t had her that long, but she trained impressively and we were looking forward to her debut on closing day [September 6]. That was a tough one."

Of his conversation with Pope, Pletcher added: “She loves her horses, very sad obviously. She took it better than I would have expected.”

America's Joy was bred in Kentucky by Clarkland Farm, which also consigned her to the Keeneland September auction, where she set a sale record for a filly.

Stakes-winning Leslie's Lady, by Tricky Creek, was purchased in foal to Orientate by Clarkland Farm for $100,000 from the consignment of the estate of James T Hines jnr to the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

That same year her 2005 son by Harlan's Holiday, now dual North American leading general sire Into Mischief, was a yearling and had just gone through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearlings Sale.

Into Mischief was secured for $80,000 by Gage Hill Stable. The following year he went through the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, and sold for $180,000 to the late B Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm.

The colt went on to win the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity and was second in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes as a juvenile. In his three-year-old year, he won the Damascus Stakes and was runner-up in the Malibu Stakes and San Vicente Stakes.

The best was yet to come, however, for retired to stud in 2009, Into Mischief has become a phenomenon. He was North America's leading sire in 2019 and 2020, shattering single-season progeny earnings in 2020 and becoming the first sire to eclipse $20 million.

Clarkland Farm also bred the four-time champion Beholder out of Leslie's Lady. The 2010 daughter of Henny Hughes was purchased from the 2011 Keeneland September sale for $180,000 by Spendthrift Farm; she went to the same trainer as Into Mischief in Richard Mandella.

Leslie's Lady is also dam of Mendelssohn, by Scat Daddy, winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf for Aidan O'Brien, as well as the UAE Derby by an extraordinary 18 and a half lengths, and now standing for Coolmore at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.

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