Godolphin's February Stakes (G1) winner and race favorite Lemon Pop led the field wire to wire in the $1,978,626 Champions Cup (G1) Sunday at Chukyo Racecourse and became just the fourth horse to win both of Japan's top-level dirt events in the same year, following Gold Dream in 2017, Transcend in 2011, and Wing Arrow in 2000.
Quick out of the gate from the widest post in the field of 15, Lemon Pop accelerated strongly under Ryusei Sakai to assume command. The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid maintained his lead and continued to run persistently after entering the lane, holding off the strong challenges from behind to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
Lemon Pop completed the 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles) in 1:50.6 on track rated as standard.
“He was quick out of the gate and wanted to go, so I chose to race him in the front,” Sakai said. “Though it was his first 1,800-meter race and the outermost stall was not to his advantage, I think he handled it well with his remarkable ability. He was really strong. That's all I can say. I'm really looking forward to his future races.”
Wilson Tesoro, sent off at 92-1 odds, traveled second from the rear on the rails after a poor break and angled out to enter the lane. While unable to find a clear path at the early stretch, the Kitasan Black colt switched further out around 350 meters out and launched the fastest late drive to overtake all his rivals but the winner to finish second. Dura Erede, off at 31-1 tracked 1 1/2 lengths behind the leader in second, closed the gap at the final corner but failed to catch the winner and while overtaken by the fast-closing runner-up just before the wire, secured third by a neck after dueling with 2021 Champions Cup victor T O Keynes.
The Champions Cup was formerly run under the name Japan Cup Dirt (G1) until 2013 and began as the dirt version of the Japan Cup (G1) in 2000. Seventeen of the past 22 winners of the Champions Cup have won the season's Japan Racing Association's Award for Best Dirt Horse.
Lemon Pop, trained by Hiroyasu Tanaka, came into the Champions Cup as the winner of the NAR's Mile Championship Nambu Hai on dirt Oct.9.
Bred by Mr. and Mrs. S. Oliver Tait, Lemon Pop is out of Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway. He was a $70,000 weanling purchase by Harry Sweeney's Paca Paca Farm at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Blandford Bloodstock consigned him. Sweeney is president of Godolphin in Japan.
“Christmas has come early for us in Japan!” Sweeney said. “And indeed if Santa Claus doesn't turn up in three weeks' time, we won't be too upset.”
The $20-million Saudi Cup (G1) going 1,800 meters Feb. 24 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse is on the radar for Lemon Pop, Sweeney said.
The post WATCH: KY-Bred Lemon Pop Wires Champions Cup In Japan, Caps JRA’s Elite-Level Dirt Double appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
