Lemon Drop Kid, 1999 Belmont Winner, Dies at 28

Classic winner and millionaire Lemon Drop Kid , champion older horse of 2000, has died at Lane's End Farm. He was 28.

Foaled at Lane's End and bred by W.S. Farish and W.S. Kilroy, Lemon Drop Kid was a son of French champion Kingmambo (who also stood at Lane's End) and produced from Charming Lassie, a Seattle Slew half sister to grade 3 winner and eventual 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise. Lemon Drop Kid was closely related to A.P. Indy, a son of Seattle Slew out of Weekend Surprise and a multiple leading North American sire and broodmare sire.

Scotty Schulhofer trained Lemon Drop Kid for Jeanne Vance, who acquired him for $200,000 during the 1997 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He hinted at tremendous talent at 2, when he was in the money in five of six starts. He won the 1998 Futurity Stakes (G1) and was runner-up in the Champagne Stakes (G1). At 3, he was victorious in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and followed his classic victory with a win in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. At 4, he strung together four consecutive victories in the storied Brooklyn Handicap (G2), Suburban Handicap (G2), Whitney Handicap (G1), and Woodward Stakes (G1) by a combined 12 lengths and earned Eclipse Award honors as champion older horse. He retired with 10 wins from 24 starts and earned $3,245,370.

Following his championship season, Lemon Drop Kid came home to Lane's End to begin his career at stud. He was an influential member of the Lane's End stallion roster from 2001-20 before pensioned from stud duty at 25 in 2021. Lemon Drop Kid sired 109 black-type winners, which included 52 graded/group winners and two champions worldwide. His grade 1 winners include Lemon Pop  (2023 Japan champion dirt horse), 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Lemons Forever , Beach Patrol , Cannock Chase , Citronnade, Romantic Vision , Richard's Kid  , and Somali Lemonade . His progeny have earned more than $115.8 million and averaged $86,077 per starter.

Lemon Drop Kid would become a successful broodmare sire, as well, ranking among the top 25 North American broodmare sires in 2023. Lemons Forever became the dam of grade 1-winning full sisters Forever Unbridled , who won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and was named that year's champion older dirt female, and Unbridled Forever , who won the 2015 Ballerina Stakes (G1). To date, Lemon Drop Kid has been represented as a broodmare sire by 109 black-type stakes winners, which include 36 graded/group winners and nine champions worldwide.

"Many of us at Lane's End were here at the farm when Lemon Drop Kid was foaled in May of 1996," said Lane's End Farm president Bill Farish. "We are profoundly blessed to have been associated with this exceptional horse for his entire life, watching him develop into a champion racehorse and then a top sire of over 100 stakes winners. He will be greatly missed, and we will forever honor his legacy."

Lemon Drop Kid will be buried in the stallion cemetery at the farm.