Classic winner, Eclipse Award champion, and prominent sire Lemon Drop Kid has died, Lane's End Farm, the stallion's birthplace as well as his current home, reported Friday. The stallion, who stood alongside his sire, the late Kingmambo, was 28.
Lemon Drop Kid was bred by W. S. Farish and W. S. Kilroy and was foaled at Lane's End. He was sold as a yearling to race for Jeanne G. Vance, and was trained by Scotty Schulhofer. He showed his ability early, winning the Grade 1 Futurity at Belmont and finishing second in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes. Despite only an allowance win early in his 3-year-old campaign, those efforts were enough to put him in to the Kentucky Derby starting gate, where he finished ninth. He was third three weeks later in the Grade 2 Peter Pan.
In the 1999 Belmont Stakes, all eyes were on Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Charismatic in his Triple Crown bid. But it was Lemon Drop Kid who outdueled Vision and Verse by a head to spring a $61.50 upset. Charismatic finished third as he suffered a career-ending leg injury. Lemon Drop Kid, in four more starts that year, proved he was no fluke by winning the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, although divisional honors went to Charismatic.
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In 2000, Lemon Drop Kid won five of nine starts, including scores in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap, Grade 1 Woodward Stakes, Grade 2 Brooklyn Handicap, and Grade 2 Suburban Handicap. He earned Eclipse Award honors as outstanding older male, retiring with a record of 24-10-3-3 and earnings of $3,245,370.
Lemon Drop Kid began his stud career at Lane's End in 2001; he was pensioned in 2020. He is the sire of 120 career stakes winners, with his top earner being Japanese champion Lemon Pop, who just retired following a repeat win in the Grade 1 Champions Cup to conclude an unbeaten 6-year-old season. He is also the sire of 2006 Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever and Grade 1 winners Beach Patrol, Cannock Chase, Christmas Kid, Citronnade, Richard's Kid, Romantic Vision, Santa Teresita, and Somali Lemonade.
Lemon Drop Kid is also a successful broodmare sire, with his daughters producing the likes of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner and champion Forever Unbridled; Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner and champion Finest City; another Filly and Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold; Dirt Mile winner Tamarkuz; U.S. Grade 1 winners Digital Age, Divisidero, Eda, Lochte, Queen Goddess, Unbridled Forever, and Yellow Agate; and European Group 1 winners Elusive Kate and Without Parole
“Many of us at Lane’s End were here at the farm when Lemon Drop Kid was foaled in May of 1996,” Lane’s End president Bill Farish said in a release. “We are profoundly blessed to have been associated with this exceptional horse for his entire life, watching him develop into a champion racehorse and then a top sire of over 100 stakes winners. He will be greatly missed, and we will forever honor his legacy.”
Lemon Drop Kid will be buried in the stallion cemetery at the farm.
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