Lemon Pop Goes Out on Top in Champions Cup in Japan

Lemon Pop  capped off his career with a front-running repeat victory in the Champions Cup (G1) Dec. 1 at Chukyo Racecourse—but just barely.

The 6-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid  entered the 1,800-meter (approx.1 1/8 miles) test on the dirt as winner in 12 of 15 starts in Japan and was second in the other three. The victories included a 2023 sweep of Japan's two grade 1 dirt races, the February Stakes (G1) and the Champions Cup.

Jockey Ryusei Sakai rode him with confidence befitting that record, hustling the Godolphin-owned runner right out from the second gate as the field started in front of the Chukyo grandstand. He showed the way throughout, pushed along down the backstretch by 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) contender Crown Pride .

Turning for home, Lemon Pop easily drew clear to lead by three lengths and seemed home free. But Wilson Tesoro, last year's runner-up, was just getting revved up outside rivals, came with a rush for jockey Yuga Kawada and just missed in a photo finish. The official margin was a nose.

It was another 1 1/2 lengths to Dura Erede  with Ryan Moore in the irons, replicating the 1-2-3 finish of the 2023 Champions Cup. Crown Pride faded to finish 11th as Lemon Pop was clocked in 1:50.1, well shy of the course record of 1:47.6.

"It was his last race and I'm glad that he was able to end his career with the best result," Sakai said. "I wanted to ride him as smoothly as possible without any loss and was ready for any challenge."

He admitted, though, that he wasn't entirely sure at the finish that he had, in fact, met the challenge.

"I thought we had won but wasn't quite sure because Wilson Tesoro came from behind with great speed. So I'm glad we were able to win. Lemon Pop is a strong horse. ... There's no other horse like him and I'm proud to have been on his back," Sakai said.

Lemon Pop, out of the Giant's Causeway  mare Unreachable , was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Tait. Hiroyasu Tanaka trains for Godolphin.

Lemon Pop's record doesn't appear as sparkling as those of top Japanese turf runners as dirt racing historically hasn't been much emphasized. Only two grade 1 stakes are offered on that surface. But Lemon Pop has done just about everything asked of him, at least on Japanese soil.

He won six of his first eight starts, including the 2020 Cattleya Sho, the first leg of the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby." A second-place finish in his 2022 finale was his last defeat in Japan.

His Achilles heel was travel. Godolphin tried him in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) in 2023 but he reported 10th. After the 2023 Champions Cup victory, he shipped to Riyadh for the 2024 Saudi Cup (G1), finishing 12th.

Eighteen of the past 24 winners of the Champions Cup, formerly known as the Japan Cup Dirt, have been named the Japan Racing Association's Best Dirt Horse for that season. Lemon Pop is a cinch to repeat that honor, making it 19 of 25.