By Alan Carasso
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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