From the first time he first set foot on the racetrack in late 2020, Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) has always hinted at top ability, and the beautifully bred 5-year-old scooped the first major prize of his career with a hard-fought victory in Sunday’s G3 Negishi S., a stepping-stone to the G1 February S. in three weeks’ time.
Away awkwardly from the 13 hole, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase on behalf of Godolphin improved to race in the second flight of horses about three away from the inside for the opening half-mile. Pulled out into the four path leaving the 600-metre pole, the chestnut was roused to the front with a little more than a furlong to race and finished willingly to hold off the fast-finishing Gilded Mirror (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), reversing the form of their last meeting in this track’s G3 Musashino S. over a mile Nov. 12. Lemon Pop was running his record over the Tokyo 1400 metres to five-from-five.
Unreachable, a daughter of the legendary Danehill (Danzig)’s Grade III-winning full-sister Harpia and also a half to New York-based stallion Redesdale (Speightstown), was unplaced in a pair of 3-year-old starts for Juddmonte and Dermot Weld and was purchased by Blandford Bloodstock, on behalf of former Darley Chief Operating Officer Olly Tait and his wife Amber, for 165,000gns ($278,915) at the 2012 Tattersalls December Mare sale.
Unreachable was led out unsold on a bid of $55,000 at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale, and the foal she was carrying at the time, a Good Magic colt, was purchased by China Horse Club/Gandharvi for $325,000 at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga in 2021 before CHC bought out their partner for $240,000 during the HORA section of last year’s KEENOV sale. The mare is also responsible for a 2-year-old colt by Good Magic, a yearling Maclean’s Music colt and is due to that Hill ‘n’ Dale sire for 2023. Lemon Pop’s third dam also includes Danehill’s accomplished full-brothers Eagle Eyed and Shibboleth. Lemon Pop is the 107th stakes winer and 49th graded/group winner for the now 27-year-old Lemon Drop Kid.
Sunday, Tokyo, Japan
NEGISHI S.-G3, ¥76,810,000, Tokyo, 1-29, 4yo/up, 1400m, 1:22.50, gd.
1–LEMON POP, 126, h, 5, by Lemon Drop Kid
1st Dam: Unreachable, by Giant’s Causeway
2nd Dam: Harpia, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Razyana, by His Majesty
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. ($70,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV). O-Godolphin; B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (KY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥40,567,000. Lifetime Record: 10-7-3-0, $1,313,929. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Gilded Mirror (Jpn), 121, m, 6, Orfevre (Jpn)–Titan Queen, by Tiznow. O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥16,164,000.
3–Battle Cry (Jpn), 123, c, 4, Isla Bonita (Jpn)–Dear Comet (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-G Riviere·Racing; B-Dearest Club; ¥10,082,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, NK. Odds: 0.60, 4.10, 11.80.
Click for the JRA chart.
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