America's Joy, $8.2 million auction purchase, dies at Saratoga

America’s Joy, an unraced 3-year-old filly who sold in 2019 for more than $8 million, died Sunday morning due to a training incident at Saratoga.

The daughter of American Pharoah sustained a sesamoid fracture while breezing and broke her neck in a fall, per the New York State Gaming Commission’s equine breakdown, death, injury, and incident database.

Todd Pletcher trained America’s Joy. She was working toward making her debut Sept. 6 at Saratoga, the Daily Racing Form reported.

Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm bought America’s Joy for $8.2 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2019. The filly was out of Tricky Creek mare Leslie’s Lady.

“She is extremely sweet and kind,” Pope told Horse Racing Nation in April 2020. “She’s very easy to work with, and on top of it she is a gorgeous mover. …

“I think she’s perfect.”