Into Mischief Half Sister Suffers Life-Ending Injuries

Three-year-old filly America's Joy, who sold for $8.2 million to Mandy's Pope's Whisper Hill Farm at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, suffered a life-ending injury during training hours Aug. 29 at Saratoga Race Course.

The filly, by Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  , out of 2016 Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady , worked on the main track from the gate in preparation for her upcoming race debut for trainer Todd Pletcher. 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.

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

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 Jr. to the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

That same year her 2005 son by Harlan's Holiday , now two-time North American leading general sire Into Mischief  , was a yearling and had just gone through the sales 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, going home for $180,000 to the late B. Wayne Hughes of Spendthrift Farm. 

The colt went on to win the CashCall Futurity (G1) and was second in the Hollywood Prevue Stakes (G3) as a juvenile. In his 3-year-old year, he won the Damascus Stakes and was runner-up in the Malibu Stakes (G1) and San Vicente Stakes (G2). The best was yet to come; after retiring to stud duty in 2009, Into Mischief became North America's leading sire in 2019-20, shattering single-season progeny earnings in 2020 and becoming the first sire to eclipse $20 million.

Clarkland Farm 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.

As a 2-year-old, Beholder captured the Grey Goose Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). She returned the following year to win the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1), Santa Anita Oaks (G1), Zenyatta Stakes (G1), and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), and was second in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). 

In her 4-year-old year, Beholder clinched the Zenyatta Stakes for a second time. The mare came back her 5-year-old year to take the Adoration Stakes (G3), Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1), $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1), and the Zenyatta Stakes for the third year in a row.

Her last year on the oval was in 2016, sealing the deal in the Adoration Stakes, Vanity Mile Stakes (G1), and Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff while finishing second in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes, Pacific Classic, and Zenyatta Stakes.

In 2016 Mendelssohn  , Leslie's Lady's Scat Daddy  son bred by Clarkland Farm, went through the Keeneland September sales ring and sold to MV Magnier for $3 million. 

The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt went on to race on three continents for the Coolmore connections Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor, taking the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) and running second in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old. In his 3-year-old year, he won the UAE Derby Sponsored by Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group (G2) and was second in the Runhappy Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1).

Mendelssohn retired to stud duty in 2019 and stands at Ashford Stud.