Keeneland September: Mandy Pope buys American Pharoah filly out of Leslie's Lady for $8.2 million

LEXINGTON, Ky. - A filly by Triple Crown winner and leading freshman sire American Pharoah and out of Broodmare of the Year Leslie's Lady sold to Mandy Pope for $8.2 million, among the highest prices in the history of the Keeneland September yearling sale, on Wednesday afternoon.

The filly, who was consigned by her breeder, Clarkland Farm, is out of the stakes-winning Tricky Creek mare Leslie's Lady. She is the dam of four-time Eclipse Award heroine Beholder, Grade 1 winner and leading sire Into Mischief, and globe-trotting Grade 1 winner Mendelssohn. Three of Leslie's Lady's daughters have produced stakes runners, raising the residual value of this filly as a broodmare.

Pope, who says she has not yet decided on a racetrack trainer for her new purchase, maintains a star-studded broodmare band at Whisper Hill Farm in Kentucky, including Horse of the Year Havre de Grace and champions Groupie Doll and Songbird, among others.

This filly's price surpassed the $4.4 million Shadwell paid for Moon's Whisper in 2000 as the most ever paid for a yearling filly at Keeneland September.

Among the sale's highest prices, she is tied for the fourth-highest all time. She trails only the colts Meydan City, sold for $11.7 million to John Ferguson in 2006; Jalil, who Ferguson paid $9.7 million for in 2005; another 2006 Ferguson purchase, $9.2-million Plavius; and is tied with Act of Diplomacy, who Ferguson went to $8.2 million for in 2006.

A complete recap of Keeneland September action will follow at DRF.com.