Lemon Drop Kid (foaled May 26, 1996) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

and

sire Sire is an archaic respectful form of address to reigning kings in Europe. In French and other languages it is less archaic and relatively more current. In Belgium, the king is addressed as "Sire..." in both Dutch and French. The words "sire" ...

. Best known for winning the 1999 Belmont Stakes, he was also the champion older horse of 2000 after winning the

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

Suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...

, Whitney Handicaps and the Woodward Stakes.

Background

Lemon Drop Kid is a bay horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by

William S. Farish III William Stamps Farish III (born March 17, 1939) is an American businessman and a former US ambassador to the UK from 2001 until 2004. Family and early life He was an only child, his father, Army Lt. William Stamps Farish Jr., died in a trainin ...

& 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 Seattle Slew (February 15, 1974 – May 7, 2002) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who became the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown (1977). He is one of only two horses to have won the Triple Crown while being undefeated in ...

, went on to produce Statue of Liberty, a colt which won the

Coventry Stakes The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs (1,207 metres), and it is scheduled to take place eac ...

in 2002. Charming Lassie's dam was Lassie Dear, an influential broodmare whose other descendants have included

A.P. Indy A.P. Indy (March 31, 1989 – February 21, 2020) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic on his way to American Horse of the Year honors in 1992. His time in the Belmont Stakes tied Easy Goer fo ...

Summer Squall Summer Squall (March 12, 1987 – September 22, 2009) was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his win in the 1990 Preakness Stakes, and his rivalry with Unbridled, whom he defeated in four of their six meetings. He later ...

Duke of Marmalade Duke of Marmalade (12 March 2004 – 5 November 2021) was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He is best known for winning five consecutive Group One races in 2008, for which he was named European Champion Older Horse. Upon retirement at ...

and Wolfhound.

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 Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

in February 1999 but then appeared to have his limitations exposed when he was well-beaten in the

Blue Grass Stakes The Blue Grass Stakes, currently the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes due to sponsorship by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is a horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is r ...

and then finishing ninth to Charismatic in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

. The colt missed the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Graded stakes race, Grade I race run over a distance of ...

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. After the race, most of the attention went to Charismatic, who sustained a career-ending injury, rather than to the winner. In August Lemon Drop Kid followed up in the

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds according to internati ...

, beating Vision And Verse again, with

Menifee Menifee (May 4, 1996 – June 13, 2019) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that competed in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing in 1999. His rivalry with Triple Crown contender Charismatic was compared at times with the rivalry b ...

and

Cat Thief Cat Thief (foaled January 30, 1996 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He is the son of Storm Cat, an outstanding Champion sire and the grandson of both the 20th Century's most important sire, Northern Dancer and whose damsir ...

among the other beaten horses. 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". In 2000

Edgar Prado Edgar S. Prado ( Lima, June 12, 1967) is a Peruvian-born American jockey, a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. His big break came in 1997 when he won 536 races, making him the fourth rider in history to win 500 races ...

took over from Santos as Lemon Drop Kid's regular jockey. He recorded Grade I wins in the

Brooklyn Handicap The Brooklyn Invitational Stakes (formerly known as the Brooklyn Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on Long Island. It currently is a Grade II event open to four-year ...

Suburban Handicap The Suburban Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Open to horses age three and older, it is now run at the mile distance on dirt for a $700,000 purse. Named after the City and ...

, 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 was pensioned from stud duty in 2021. He will continue to live at

Lane's End Farm Lane's End Farm is a Thoroughbred horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought ...

Versailles, Kentucky Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...

, where he stood for his entire breeding career. 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 The Canadian International Stakes is a Grade I stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years of age and up on Turf. It is held annually in October at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The current purse is Since its creat ...

), Beach Patrol (Arlington Million, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic) and Santa Teresita ( Santa Maria Handicap). 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: * Beach Patrol- Winner of the Arlington Million, Secretariat Stakes,

Joe Hirsch Turf Classic The Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race for three years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf track scheduled annually in late September or early October at Belmont Park in Elmo ...

* Lemons Forever- Winner of the Kentucky Oaks * Somali Lemonade- Winner of the

Diana Stakes The Diana Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. Named for the mythological goddess Diana, the race is run each year at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Inaugurated in 1939, it is open to fillies and mares age three and ...

, Gallorette Handicap,

Jessamine Stakes The Jessamine Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old filles over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeting. History ...

, * Cannock Chase-Winner of the

, Tercentenary Stakes,

Huxley's layer Huxley's layer is the second layer of the inner root sheath of the hair and consists of one or two layers of horny, flattened, nucleated cells. It lies between Henle's layer and the cuticle. The layer is named after English biologist Thomas Henry ...

* Da Big Hoss- Winner of the

Elkhorn Stakes The Elkhorn Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-olds and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course, Lexington, Kentucky during the spring meeting. It curren ...

John B. Connally Turf Cup The John B. Connally Turf Cup is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race, for four-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one-half miles (12 furlongs) on the turf track, held annually in late January or early February at Sam Houston ...

, American St. Leger Stakes, Belmont Gold Cup Invitational, Kentucky Turf Cup Stakes (twice) * Richard's Kid- Winner of the

Pacific Classic Stakes The Pacific Classic Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds and older over a distance of one and one quarter miles on the dirt track scheduled annually in August at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. The ...

(twice), Goodwood Stakes, Cougar II Handicap (twice),

San Antonio Handicap The San Antonio Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Raced on the dirt, it is for horses age three and older. In 2017, the distance was shortened from miles to miles. The race was original ...

* Santa Teresita- Winner of the Santa Maria Handicap * Romantic Vision- Winner of the Spinster Stakes, Locust Grove Stakes * Cosmonaut- Winner of the Fort Marcy Stakes,

Arlington Handicap The Arlington Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged four years old over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the turf held annually in late May or early June at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. T ...

(twice), Golden Gate Fields Handicap, Tampa Bay Stakes * Citronnade- Winner of the Gamely Stakes,

Dahlia Stakes The Dahlia Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to fillies and mares aged four years or older. It is run over a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong (1,811 metres) on t ...

Beverly Hills Handicap The Red Carpet Handicap (known until 2013 as the Beverly Hills Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually (as of 2014) during Del Mar racetrack's fall meet which has been created to accommodate the overflow of established races ...

Santa Ana Handicap The Santa Ana Handicap is a Thoroughbred horse race run at annually Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California during the third week of March. The race is open to fillies and mares, age four and up, willing to race one and one-eighth miles on the tur ...

, San Gorgonio H. * Kiss the Kid- Winner of the

Cliff Hanger Stakes The Cliff Hanger Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Monmouth Park in East Rutherford, New Jersey during late September/early October. Open to horses age three and older, it is now contested on turf over a distance of mi ...

, Appleton Stakes, Fort Lauderdale Stakes * Kid Cruz- Winner of the Dwyer Stakes, Excelsior Stakes, John B. Campbell Stakes, Private Terms Stakes * Inspector Lynley- Winner of the

Saranac Stakes The Saranac Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Grade III stakes is open to three-year-old horses and is raced on turf over a distance of 1 mile. The event, currentl ...

, Tampa Bay Stakes *Kid Friendly- Winner at Saratoga and Penn National Stakes nominated

Pedigree

References

External links

Lemon Drop Kid's pedigree, with photo

Video at YouTube of Lemon Drop Kid's win in the 1999 Belmont Stakes
{{Belmont Stakes Winners 1996 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Belmont Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 3-l