Lemon Drop Kid

Lemon Drop Kid was a bay horse with no white markings bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish III and 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, went on to produce Statue of Liberty, a colt which won the Coventry Stakes in 2002. Charming Lassie's dam was Lassie Dear, an influential broodmare whose other descendants have included A.P. Indy, Summer Squall, Duke of Marmalade, and Wolfhound.^[2]

Lemon Drop Kid died on December 13, 2024, at the age of 28.^[3]

As a two-year-old in 1998 Lemon Drop Kid showed himself to be a very promising colt with a victory in the Grade III Belmont Futurity in September.

Lemon Drop Kid won a minor race at Gulfstream Park in February 1999 but then appeared to have his limitations exposed when he was well-beaten in the Blue Grass Stakes and then finished ninth to Charismatic in the Kentucky Derby. The colt missed the Preakness Stakes but returned on 5 June for the Belmont Stakes, a race which featured Charismatic's 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.^[4] After the race, most of the attention went to Charismatic, who sustained a career-ending injury, rather than to the winner LDK.^[5]

In August Lemon Drop Kid followed up in the Travers Stakes, beating Vision And Verse again, with Menifee and Cat Thief among the other beaten horses.^[6] 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".^[7]

In 2000 Edgar Prado took over from Santos as Lemon Drop Kid's regular jockey. He recorded Grade I wins in the Brooklyn Handicap, Suburban Handicap, Whitney Handicap, and Woodward Stakes. At the end of the year he was named U.S. Champion Older Male Horse.

Lemon Drop Kid was pensioned from stud duty in 2021.^[8] He continued to live at Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, where he stood for his entire breeding career.^[9] 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), Beach Patrol (Arlington Million, Joe Hirsch Turf Classic), Lemon Pop (February Stakes) and Santa Teresita (Santa Maria Handicap).^[10]

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.

Below data is based on Racing Post stallion records.^[11] c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding