Tag: Lemon Pop

Lemon Pop Defies Doubters, History In Champions Cup

In the G1 Champions Cup, one of two elite-level races on dirt on the JRA circuit, wide barriers are almost always the kiss of death.

Drawn 15 of 15 for Sunday's 1800-metre event, Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) not only had that to overcome, but also lingering questions as to his ability to stay a trip this far. After all, his trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka needed some convincing by the Godolphin braintrust to try him in the G1 February S., a 1600-metre affair, which he duly won with something in the locker.

A trip to Dubai was ultimately decided upon, the G1 Golden Shaheen (1200m) versus the G2 Godolphin Mile. Lemon Pop was ultimately no factor, but even as many as eight months ago, Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney mentioned the Champions Cup as a potential target in a Q&A with this reporter ahead of World Cup night. That brand of outside-the-box thinking paid off handsomely Sunday afternoon at Chukyo Racecourse, as Lemon Pop became the fourth horse to win both JRA Group 1 dirt races in the same calendar year.

Favoured–albeit midly so at $3.80 (14-5)–Lemon Pop broke a bit to his right, but very alertly, and managed to show enough speed to come across the entire field and lead out from this year's G2 UAE Derby runner-up Dura Erede (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) with 2021 winner T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) enjoying the gun run from third.

Lemon Pop had done some work to get there, having clocked :23.5 for the opening 400 metres, but he came back to Ryusei Sakai and got the opening 800m in :48.8, with Dura Erede keeping him honest. Traveling nicely within himself with his jockey sitting against him–similar to his win in the February–Lemon Pop was clear into the straight, pinched what appeared to be a winning break and was home comfortably first as Wilson Tesoro (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) jumped out of the ground for second at rough odds. Dura Erede settled for a creditable third. Multiple international group winner Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) was disappointing in 11th with a bit of a wide trip, while the previously unbeaten Seraphic Call (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) finished 10th.

“Christmas has come early for us in Japan! And indeed if Santa Claus doesn't turn up in three weeks' time, we won't be too upset,” Sweeney said on the Godolphin website. “Lemon Pop was awesome today–there can be no denying that. No horse drawn in the outside three stalls has even made the frame in the last decade, so Lemon Pop needed to overcome the obstacle of the widest draw of all. Also, doing it from the front is probably not the easiest way to win a Group 1, but he had little alternative because of the draw and it was another excellent ride for Ryusei Sakai. In truth, he looked all over the winner when turning in–he was still traveling very well while everyone else was hard at work.”

In the aforementioned Q&A, Sweeney spoke of the honour of bringing a Godolphin-owned Japanese-based runner to Dubai to race before His Highness Sheikh Mohammed. A similar plan was in the works in 2021, when Lemon Pop was an intended runner in the UAE Derby, having won the 2020 Cattleya Sho on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. But the injury bug bit, dashing those plans. His victory Sunday opens a few more doors as the calendar turns to 2024.

“Though five years old, he is relatively lightly raced and over four seasons has only run a total of 14 times,” Sweeney said. “As he is in great form, we are hoping to keep him in training for another year and will be considering the G1 Saudi Cup before hopefully going back to Dubai in March.”

A horse that has passed every test that's been set for him, Lemon Drop would have to be considered a major player in Riyadh and/or at Meydan.

 

Pedigree Notes:

On behalf of former Darley executive Olly Tait and his wife, Blandford Bloodstock went to 165,000gns for Unreachable from the Juddmonte draft at the 2012 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Unreachable is a daughter of Harpia, a full-sister to the highly influential Danehill as well as Eagle Eyed and Shibboleth, etc., and is a half-sister to the stakes-placed First Word (Chester House) and Redesdale (Speightstown). This is also the family of Dundonnell (First Defence), a Group 3 winner in England, a listed winner in Hong Kong and Group 3-placed in Dubai.

Unreachable was offered in foal to Good Magic at the 2020 Keeneland January Sale and was led out unsold on a bid of $55,000, but Chad Schumer acquired the mare privately for $50,000 on behalf of Jay and Christine Hayden's Saintsbury Farms. Schumer also purchased Redesdale for $18,000 at the 2016 January Sale and he now stands at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds in the state of New York. The colt Unreachable was carrying at the time of her acquisition–an Ontario-bred 3-year-old now named Equivoque–would go on to fetch $325,000 from China Horse Club/Gandharvi at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and CHC bought out the partnership for $240,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale. Equivoque, an impressive debut winner at Keeneland this past April and an allowance second at Churchill on Derby Day May 6, has recently returned to training at Todd Pletcher's South Florida base at Palm Beach Downs after spending some time at WinStar Farm .

Unreachable is also the dam of the 2-year-old colt Magic Rush (Good Magic) and a yearling colt by Maclean's Music that sold for $310,000 to Powerstown Stud at this year's Keeneland September sale. Unreachable, now 14 years of age, did not produce a foal this year and was bred back to Curlin.

Sunday, Chukyo, Japan
CHAMPIONS CUP-G1, ¥232,740,000, Chukyo, 12-3, 3yo/up, 1800m, 1:50.60, ft.
1–LEMON POP, 128, h, 5, by Lemon Drop Kid
1st Dam: Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway
2nd Dam: Harpia, by Danzig
3rd Dam: Razyana, by His Majesty
($70,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Godolphin; B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (KY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥123,318,000. Lifetime Record: 14-10-3-0, ¥481,756,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Wilson Tesoro (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Kitasan Black (Jpn)–Chesutoke Rose, by Uncle Mo. O-Kenji Ryotokuji Holdings; B-Ryoken Farm; ¥48,948,000.
3–Dura Erede (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Duramente (Jpn)–Marchesa (Jpn), by Orfevre (Jpn). (¥100,000,000 Ylg '21 JRHAJUL). O-Three H Racing; B-Northern Farm; ¥30,474,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, NK. Odds: 2.80, 91.00, 30.20.
Also Ran: T O Keynes (Jpn), Meisho Hario (Jpn), Hagino Alegrias (Jpn), Make a Leap (Jpn), Notturno (Jpn), Ater Astrea (Jpn), Seraphic Call (Jpn), Crown Pride (Jpn), Keiai Shelby (Jpn), Gloria Mundi (Jpn), Icon Tailor (Jpn), Geoglyph (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart and VIDEO.

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Lemon Pop Has Work Cut Out In Champions Cup

Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) has been the best dirt horse in Japan this year at distances up to a mile, but the 5-year-old faces a stamina-stretching test from a horrible draw when he faces 14 others in Sunday's G1 Champions Cup (1800m) at Chukyo Racecourse.

A $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase, the chestnut won the G3 Negishi S. over 1400 metres at Toyko in January and silenced those who questioned his ability to stay an extra furlong when running out a comfortable winner of the G1 February S. the following month. Sent to Dubai for the G1 Golden Shaheen over a 1200-metre journey that was too sharp, he was only 10th, but rebounded with a front-running romp in the Listed Mile Championship Nambu Hai Oct. 9. He tries a two-turn route for the first time and Ryusei Sakai will have to judge it right from the 15 hole.

“While there is a worry about the 1800 metres this time, and how balanced he might be in the run, he's been successful so far, so we can only think of him making a big challenge here,” said trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka. “It'll be interesting to see what kind of race he can run. We'll rely on the jockey to get the best out of him.”

 

 

 

Crown Pride (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}) was an unlucky loser of this year 12 months ago, but has put together a very formidable record this season. Fifth to Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the G1 Dubai World Cup in March at Meydan–site of his 2022 G2 UAE Derby score–the dark bay was just beaten by Meisho Hario (Jpn) (Pyro) in the valuable Listed Teio Sho June 28 and overwhelmed compatriot Gloria Mundi (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) by 10 lengths in the G3 Korea Cup at Seoul Sept. 10.

“There are some strong horses in the race again this year, but with the condition he's in, it should put him right up there with them,” commented trainer Koichi Shintani. “He hasn't been losing by much in his previous races, and the way he won last time in Korea certainly gives us confidence here.”

T O Keynes (Jpn) (Sinister Minister), the 2021 Champions Cup winner and fourth last year, has acquitted himself well without winning this term. Fourth in the World Cup, he was a head behind Crown Pride in the Teio Sho and third to the progressive King's Sword (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) and Notturno (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in the Listed JBC Classic Nov. 3.

Three-year-old Seraphic Call (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) is the X-factor in the Champions Cup, as he is perfect from his five starts to date, all this season. After winning his first four in the lower grades, he rattled home from the latter half of the field to stamp his authority on Kyoto's G3 Miyako S. Nov. 5, pulling away to best Make a Leap (Jpn) (Sinister Minister) by three emphatic lengths.

A pair of females are in this year's line-up, including JBC Ladies' Classic heroine Icon Tailor (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), and Ater Astraea (Jpn) (Reach the Crown {Jpn}), beaten 4 1/2 lengths into third in the same event.`

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Breeders’ Cup Option For Lemon Pop Following Comeback Win

The GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is one of three options for Godolphin's Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) following a barnstorming gate-to-wire victory in Monday's $823,000 Listed Mile Championship Nambu Hai at Morioka Racecourse on the National Association of Racing circuit in Japan.

Having already secured a Breeders' Cup berth courtesy of his biggest win to date in the G1 February S. at Tokyo this past February, the 5-year-old was having his first run since finishing an outpaced 10th, beaten six lengths, in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen over six furlongs in late March.

Favored at 1-2, the $70,000 Keeneland November weanling purchase hit the ground running from gate three and was soon at the head of affairs for jockey Ryusei Sakai. Always traveling strongly on the front end, Lemon Pop began to get away from his rivals approaching the 400-meter marker and turned it into a one-horse show in the final stages. He had a margin of two full seconds, or approximately a dozen lengths, on Igniter (Jpn) (Espoir City {Jpn}) at the wire, with the mare Ladybug (Jpn) (Hokko Tarumae {Jpn}) third. Two-time February S. hero Cafe Pharoah (American Pharoah) was fifth, while 2022 G1 Satsuki Sho winner Geoglyph (Jpn) (Drefong) finished ninth.

“It's impossible to be anything other than thrilled with a performance like that,” said Godolphin Japan President Harry Sweeney. “Lemon Pop was outstanding today. We hadn't really expected him to make the running and there was a very audible murmur from the crowd as he took the lead, somewhat in disbelief. The jockey rode a brilliant race and pulled away easily to win very, very comfortably at the finish.

“It's not easy to win a Jpn G1 race by a distance, so credit to the horse and the trainer. A special thanks must go to our own team in Castle Park, where Lemon Pop has been for about five months since he came back from Dubai.”

Sweeney said that instead of the Dirt Mile, Lemon Pop could remain at home for the valuable Listed JBC Sprint (1200m) Nov. 3 and/or the G1 Champions Cup in December, which would mark his first start past a mile.

“Lemon Pop's trainer was never really in favour of running him over a mile, even though he has now won two top competitions over the distance, and he certainly showed today that he has no problem with the trip,” said Sweeney. “Certainly, we will be looking at the Champions Cup, with one run beforehand. We will be discussing it intently over the next few days.”

 

 

MILE CHAMPIONSHIP NAMBU HAI-Listed, ¥122,500,000, Morioka, 10-9, 3yo/up, 1600m, 1:33.80, yl.
1–LEMON POP, 128, h, 5, Lemon Drop Kid–Unreachable, by Giant's Causeway. ($70,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Godolphin; B-Mr & Mrs Oliver S Tait (KY); T-Hiroyasu Tanaka; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥ 70,000,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Jpn, 13-9-3-0, $2,704,452.
2–Igniter (Jpn), 126, h, 5, Espoir City (Jpn)–Bianco (Jpn), by Warning (GB). (¥7,020,000 Ylg '19 HOKSUM). O-Yoshiki Noda; B-Haruki Farm; ¥24,500,000.
3–Ladybug (Jpn), 121, m, 5, Hokko Tarumae (Jpn)–Favorite Girl (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn). O/B-Gold Up Company; ¥14,000,000
Margins: 12, HF, 3/4. Odds : 0.50, 20.70, 82.40.
Click for the goracing.jp chart.

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TDN Q & A: Godolphin Japan’s Harry Sweeney

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — Answer: The G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Question: What is the only race in the history of the Dubai World Cup that has never been won by the host?

That statement feels like an enormous anomaly, given all the success down the years at old Nad Al Sheba Racecourse and here at Meydan Racecourse, but true it is all the same. It is a record that Harry Sweeney, the president of the Japanese arm of Sheikh Mohammed's global operation, hopes will change this weekend when American-bred and -sourced Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) takes on five U.S.-based sprinters and significant Japanese-bred challenge in the 1200-meter race.

Moments after the clean chestnut, bred in the names of former Darley executive Olly Tait and his wife, completed some light work under the early-morning lights at Meydan Wednesday, Sweeney graciously took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk about the acquisition of Lemon Pop, his rise to Group 1 winner and what the future may hold.

Alan Carasso: First of all, how has Lemon Pop come out of his victory in the G1 February S.?

Harry Sweeney: Yeah, he's come out well. It's a five-week gap, which we thought was reasonable, between the February S. and this race. He's a 5-year-old, but he's still very lightly raced. He's only raced 11 times. But I watched him warm up down there [in the 1600-meter chute] this morning. He's not at times the most fluent of movers, but he's moving well now. So I'm very pleased with that. The trainer seemed happy with him. He traveled reasonably well, a little bit off his food for the first few days, but he's back to grubbing. He's a big strong horse and he moved well this morning, so I'd say he's good.

AC: When did Lemon Pop arrive here into Dubai?

HS: He got in here last Tuesday, I believe. Tuesday of last week.

AC: Under the Paca Paca Farm banner, you guys selected him as a weanling at Keeneland ($70,000 in November 2018), and I know you guys tend to do that, pick them up as foals. What's the philosophy of buying them at that young age?

HS: Well, the reason is it's a model of logistics really, because, I mean, I'm buying these for Japan and of course if we buy in the yearling market, then it's pretty congested already with Godolphin people. We have the UK Godolphin team buying and also Shadwell buying when they were buying a lot of horses.

So we're the 'small boy' in the organization. So there was a lot of congestion in that area and it was just easier to buy them as foals, really, and to avoid that.

AC: And where do these types of purchases go after you buy them?

HS: He came to Japan, Lemon Pop was bought in November and he came straight to Japan, and so he spent his yearling year in Japan, on the farm.

AC: What was it about him that attracted you at Keeneland?

 

 

 

HS: Well, if I'm perfectly honest, I mean, I probably short-listed him on the basis that I thought he might run on turf. Lemon Drop Kid can get a few decent turf runners and the mare being by Giant's Causeway, I thought there's a chance this horse might run on turf. So I'd say that's the reason that I looked at him in the first place.

But when I did look at him, I mean, physically he's a very, very well-balanced, well-proportioned horse. I mean, I really, really like that about him. He was an average mover, but I thought he was just a very, very well-balanced horse. And that's the reason I bought him.

AC: Like you pointed out, he's only made the 11 starts but for eight wins and over $2.2 million in earnings. He's a 5-year-old now. Were there any serious issues, or just little niggling issues that kept him from stringing starts together?

HS: Yeah. Well, after he won–I think–his second start, I mean, he showed enormous talent initially. Even at the second start, we were already clear that this horse had the ability and we already had kind of marked him down as a Group 1 horse, maybe not a Group 1 winner, but a Group 1 horse. And we were considering and coming even to we kind of planning, really hoping, to come to the [G2] UAE Derby [in 2021]. But then fate intervened, hit a small issue. We took numerous X-rays and we had four different veterinary opinions, all different, the most expensive veterinary opinions in the world. He had what looked like a little bit of fracture line there. We were just a bit worried in the end and we opted to be conservative and so we gave him time off, which was probably the right decision. Because listen, we were aware of that ability and we didn't want to compromise that. We were happy to wait.

AC: Coming here, you had a choice between whether to stay at the mile [for the G2 Godolphin Mile] or cut back in trip for the Dubai Golden Shaheen. What ultimately led to the decision to keep him short?

HS: Firstly, the trainer always believes this horse is a sprinter. And even when we ran in the February S. over a mile, the trainer really wasn't that enthusiastic about him, to be honest. We had to kind of lean on him to even run in the February S., but I mean these decisions are made for us. There are only two Group1 races on dirt on the JRA [circuit]. So, where do you go if you have a horse of this caliber? You have little option, you must go there. And to be honest, we're thinking of his next career when he finishes as a stallion. I mean, he's already secured his place. It was important to win a Group 1 in Japan. And so that's why we went there. Okay. Now the reverse is true. That's why we're here as well. Where else would he go in Japan? The next Group 1 in the JRA on dirt is [the1800-meter G1 Champions Cup in December} and the trainer also wants to sprint. In fact, it was the trainer's preference initially to come here and avoid the February S., not even to run there.

So we'll see how he goes. It's a bit of an ask because he he's never run over six furlongs [Ed's Note: Lemon Pop broke his maiden at first asking going 1300 meters or 6 1/2 furlongs]. So that's a first for him. Equally, running on this type of dirt surface with the kickback, we're not sure about that. We have a young jockey aboard. The trainer is traveling his first horse abroad. We're all rookies here. It's a bit of an ask, but we feel there's little to be lost. To be honest, I vacillated between going for this or the Mile. We did it give it real consideration. I think when [champion and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint hero] Elite Power came out of the sprint and when we had a feeling that he wasn't going to come, that changed us. When he was in, we were going to go for the other race. So they were part of the reasons and the trainer's belief as well. He's a sprinter. Let's see how he goes.

AC: My next question sort of dovettails off of that. If he's not going to stretch out to nine furlongs, if he is not a horse for the Champion's Cup, what is there for him left at home? Any thoughts of sending him to the States?

HS: The February S. is a 'Win and You're In' race for the Breeders' Cup, the Classic, and I think we might be able to use it for a different race. I'd say we're not ruling out. These decisions might be much easier to make on Sunday, but we're not ruling it out. But he'll go back to Japan, we're going to give him a spell. He'll go to the farm straight away after the race one way or the other. There is a race called the JBC Sprint in Japan [Nov. 3], which is a local Japan Group 1 race. But even though it doesn't have international graded status, it's a big race in Japan and it's an extremely competitive race. And that's a six-furlong sprint. I wouldn't rule out a run in the Champions Cup either. We're ambitious in Japan. We have little to be restricted about it.

AC: And finally, How does it feel to have one of yours run here in front of the boss?

HS: Oh, that's very important. And listen, we hope he runs well and if he runs well, we'd be pleased. The boss is a true internationalist. And it's fashionable, so it would be nice to have. And this is the only race that Godolphin have never won, so it would be nice to tick that box.

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