Given that he was a classic winner just before the turn of the century, one would not expect Lemon Drop Kid to still be represented by a championship candidate 25 years later. That, however, is the feat he has achieved by way of his Japanese son Lemon Pop, who looks certain to retain his title as champion dirt horse in that country after scoring a repeat victory in the Champions Cup (G1).
This was the 13th victory in 18 starts for Lemon Pop, who, in addition to back-to-back tallies in the Chukyo Champions Cup, has also captured the February Stakes (G1), Negishi Stakes (G3), Urawa Sakitama Cup, and two renewals of the Morioka Mile Championship Nambu Hai.
Lemon Drop Kid's classic win came in the Belmont Stakes (G1), where he closed late to catch Vision and Verse by a head, with the Triple Crown-seeking Charismatic back in third despite suffering a career-ending injury late in the race. Although he started at odds of more than 29-1 for the Belmont, Lemon Drop Kid had shown top-class form the previous year, winning the Futurity Stakes (G1) by a half-length over Yes It's True and taking second in the Champagne Stakes (G1). At 3, following the Belmont, he was a well-beaten second in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) but rebounded to take the Travers Stakes (G1) with Vision and Verse again occupying the runner-up sport. Kept in training at age 4, Lemon Drop Kid earned honors as champion older horse, with consecutive triumphs in the Brooklyn Handicap (G2), Suburban Handicap (G2), Whitney Handicap (G1), and Woodward Stakes (G1).
Lemon Drop Kid, who spent his entire stud career at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Ky., was the best dirt performer to represent his sire, Kingmambo, a champion miler in Europe and a son of Mr. Prospector out of the magnificent Miesque. Lemon Drop Kid's dam, Charming Lassie, a daughter of Seattle Slew, was a three-quarter sister to Horse of the Year and two-time Leading Sire A.P. Indy.
Pensioned in 2021, Lemon Drop Kid left 20 Northern Hemisphere crops that have produced 109 individual stakes winners, 52 group or graded, including other grade 1 winners Richard's Kid , Beach Patrol, Citronnade, Christmas Kid, Somali Lemonade, Cannock Chase, Romantic Vision, Santa Teresita, and Lemons Forever.
Lemon Pop was foaled in the United States and sold to Japan-based Paca Paca Farm as a weanling for $70,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. His dam, Unreachable, never ran and has never produced another runner of note, but she is by Giant's Causeway, out of the Shirley Jones Handicap (G3) scorer Harpia. A daughter of Danzig, Harpia is a sister to a real celebrity in Danehill, a European champion sprinter and a breed-shaping stallion who earned three leading sire titles in Great Britain and Ireland and another nine with his shuttle crops in Australia, where his sire line is still very much a dominant force.
Harpia is also a sister to the Arlington Classic (G2) scorer Eagle Eyed; to Shibboleth, a group/grade 3 winner in England and the U.S.; and to Family, the dam of English group winner Dundonnel. Her French black-type winning half sister, Euphonic, never produced a black-type winner but is an ancestor of four horses who achieved that status, including the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) winner Verbal, who is by a grandson of Danehill, and so inbred to this family.
Lemon Pop's fourth dam is Spring Adieu, a Buckpasser mare who produced five stakes winners, and who is ancestress of several more, including Australian multiple grade 1 winners Diatribe and Ace High, and South African grade 1 winner Oriental Charm. More importantly, Spring Adieu is a half sister to Northern Dancer, arguably the most important stallion of the 20th century.
Since Harpia is by a son of Northern Dancer, she is inbred 3x3 to Natalma, the dam of Northern Dancer and Spring Adieu. Lemon Pop's broodmare sire, Giant's Causeway, is also a Northern Dancer line stallion, and Lemon Drop Kid has another cross of that horse through Nureyev.
