Lemon Drop Kid

Lemon Drop Kid (foaled May 26, 1996) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Best known for winning the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was also the champion older horse of 2000 after winning the Brooklyn, Suburban, Whitney Handicaps and the Woodward Stakes.

For the Bob Hope film, see The Lemon Drop Kid.
Lemon Drop Kid
SireKingmambo
GrandsireMr. Prospector
DamCharming Lassie
DamsireSeattle Slew
SexStallion
FoaledMay 26, 1996[1]
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederWilliam S. Farish III & William S. Kilroy
OwnerJeanne G. Vance
TrainerScotty Schulhofer
Record24: 10-3-3
Earnings$3,245,370
Major wins
Belmont Futurity Stakes (1998)
Travers Stakes (1999)
Brooklyn Handicap (2000)
Suburban Handicap (2000)
Whitney Handicap (2000)
Woodward Stakes (2000) Triple Crown race wins:
Belmont Stakes (1999)
Awards
United States Champion Older Male Horse (2000)
Last updated on June 26, 2007

Background

Lemon Drop Kid is a bay horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish III & William S. Kilroy. He was sired by Kingmambo an American-bred horse who raced in Europe before returning to the United States to become a highly successful breeding stallion. His dam Charming Lassie, a daughter of Seattle Slew, went on to produce Statue of Liberty, a colt which won the Coventry Stakes in 2002. Charming Lassie's dam was Lassie Dear, an influential broodmare whose other descendants have included A.P. Indy, Summer Squall, Duke of Marmalade and Wolfhound.[2]

Racing career

As a two-year-old in 1998 Lemon Drop Kid showed himself to be a very promising colt with a victory in the Grde I Belmont Futurity in September.

Lemon Drop Kid won a minor race at Gulfstream Park in February 1999 but then appeared to have his limitations exposed when he was well-beaten in the Blue Grass Stakes and then finishing ninth to Charismatic in the Kentucky Derby. The colt missed the Preakness Stakes but returned on 5 June for the Belmont takes, a race which featured Charimatics attempt to become the first winner of the Triple Crown in more than 20 years. Ridden by José A. Santos he came from well off the pace to overtake Charismatic in the stretch and held off the rallying outsider Vision And Verse to win by a head.[3] After the race, most of the attention went to Charismatic, who sustained a career-ending injury, rather than to the winner.[4]

In August Lemon Drop Kid followed up in the Travers Stakes, beating Vision And Verse again, with Menifee and Cat Thief among the other beaten horses.[5] Santos commented "I hope he gets a little credit now. After the Belmont all eyes were on Charismatic but Lemon Drop Kid won the race. He had to prove he's the real deal. In my heart he's one of the best".[6]

In 2000 Edgar Prado took over from Santos as Lemon Drop Kid's regular jockey. He recorded Grade I wins in the Brooklyn Handicap, Suburban Handicap, Whitney Handicap and Woodward Stakes. At the end of the year he was named U.S. Champion Older Male Horse.

Stud career

Lemon Drop Kid currently stands at stud at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he commands US$35,000 for a live cover breeding resulting in a foal standing & nursing.[7] His first crop of foals in 2005 produced three stakes winners. His second crop in 2006 produced three more stakes winners, including the filly Lemons Forever, the longshot winner of the 2006 Kentucky Oaks. Other Grade I winners have included Somali Lemonade, Richard's Kid (Pacific Classic), Cannock Chase (Canadian International Stakes), Beach Patrol (Arlington Million, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic) and Santa Teresita (Santa Maria Handicap).[8]

Through his daughter Lemons Forever, Lemon Drop Kid is the broodmare sire of multiple Gr.I winner Forever Unbridled and Gr.I winner Unbridled Forever.

Lemon Drop Kid's notable progeny include:[9]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Lemon Drop Kid (USA), bay stallion, 1996[1]
Sire
Kingmambo (USA)
1990		 Mr. Prospector (USA)
1970		 Raise a Native Native Dancer
Raise You
Gold Digger Nashua
Sequence
Miesque (USA)
1984　		 Nureyev Northern Dancer
Special
Pasadoble Prove Out
Santa Quilla
Dam
Charming Lassie (USA)
1987		 Seattle Slew (USA)
1974		 Bold Reasoning Boldnesian
Reason To Earn
My Charmer Poker
Fair Charmer
Lassie Dear (USA)
1974		 Buckpasser Tom Fool
Busanda
Gay Missile Sir Gaylord
Missy Baba (Family: 3-l)[2]

References
  1. "Lemon Drop Kid pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Mayonaise – Family 3-L". Thoroughbred Bloodlines.
  3. "Belmont Stakes result". Racing Post. 5 June 1999.
  4. "Lemon Drop Kid Wins Belmont". CBS News.
  5. "Travers Stakes result". Racing Post. 28 August 1999.
  6. Ed Fountaine (29 August 1999). "Lemon Drop Kid Takes Travers". New York Post.
  7. http://www.bloodhorse.com/stallion-register/stallions/126196/lemon-drop-kid
  8. "Lemon Drop Kid – Progeny –". Racing Post.
  9. "Lemon Drop Kid on Stallion Register Online". Stallion Register Online. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
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