Broodmare Of The Year Leslie’s Lady Dies At Age 26

Leslie’s Lady, the 2016 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year and arguably the most influential broodmare of the current North American breeding landscape, died Monday morning at age 26, BloodHorse reports.

The flagship broodmare for Clarkland Farm had been residing as a pensioner at the Lexington, Ky., operation after retiring from production last spring.

The names under Leslie’s Lady’s produce record comprise some of the most important names in the stakes book, the sale catalog, and the stud book over the past two decades: Grade 1 winner and record-setting sire Into Mischief; four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder; $3-million yearling, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner and popular young stallion Mendelssohn; $8.2-million yearling America’s Joy; $1.1-million yearling Leslie’s Harmony; leading California freshman sire Curlin to Mischief; and black type producers Judy B, Victory Party, and Daisy Mason.

Bred in Kentucky by David E. Hager II, the daughter of Tricky Creek sold as a short yearling for $8,000 at the 1997 Keeneland January sale, then went to James T. Hines Jr. for $27,000 later that year at the Keeneland September sale. She was then placed in the barn of trainer Robert Holthus, with whom she won five of 28 starts, highlighted by a victory in the listed Hoosier Debutante Stakes at Hoosier Park during her 2-year-old season.

Leslie’s Lady entered Hines’ breeding program after retiring from the racetrack, and she was initially unspectacular. She aborted her first foal after meeting Marquetry, then her first two foals never earned black type.

She was part of the first book for stallion Harlan’s Holiday in 2004, and she produced the colt that would become Into Mischief the following March.

Hines died in February 2006, and Leslie’s Lady was offered as part of his dispersal at that year’s Keeneland November sale, where he sold to Clarkland Farm for $100,000. Into Mischief, meanwhile, took a detour through Indiana on his road to the history books.

Leslie’s Lady earned Kentucky Broodmare of the Year honors from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association in 2016 after a season where Beholder, by Henny Hughes, won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the Eclipse Award for champion older female.

While Clarkland Farm bred Leslie’s Lady primarily for the commercial market, the operation retained the mare’s final two foals, both of them fillies, to preserve her female line in their program.

Marr Time, a 3-year-old by Not This Time, was a debut winner last fall, taking a Keeneland maiden special weight by 2 3/4 lengths. Her final foal is the unraced Kantharos juvenile Love You Irene.

In total, Leslie’s Lady has produced seven winners from nine starters to date, with combined on-track earnings of more than $9.5 million. Her foals have brought a combined $14,187,000 at public auction.

Leslie’s Lady was buried near the entrance of Clarkland Farm.

Read more at BloodHorse.

Terribly sad to hear about the passing of Blue Hen & Broodmare of the Year, Leslie’s Lady.

Our thoughts are with @Martyclarkland & all at Clarkland Farm who loved & cared for this incredible mare.

Hopefully Mendelssohn can continue her legacy with his first runners this year! pic.twitter.com/KlAqoYmUse

— Coolmore America (@coolmoreamerica) January 24, 2022

was incredible. She produced Beholder, Into Mischief, and Mendelsson. Very proud of all you accomplished mama and very sorry you are no longer with us.

— Tim Glyshaw (@tgly) January 24, 2022