Lemon Pop popped to the front midway down the stretch and held onto the lead to win the February Stakes (G1) at Tokyo Racecourse by 1 1/2 lengths Feb. 19 as North American invader Shirl's Speight spun his wheels in the deep dirt course, finishing ninth.
Watch Lemon Pop win the February Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse to secure the first spot in the @LonginesEq #BreedersCup Classic. #WinAndYoureIn
— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) February 19, 2023
We hope to see him at #BC23! 🙌@HorseRacing_JPN @JRA_WorldRacing pic.twitter.com/LBK4N7zcNz
The race is one of only two group 1 dirt events on the Japanese racing calendar and also is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).
Café Pharoah, winner of the 2021 and 2022 editions of the February, passed up a chance at a three-peat in favor of the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) Feb. 25 in Riyadh, opening the door for a new order at home.
Lemon Pop, a 5-year-old, Kentucky-bred son of Lemon Drop Kid, took full advantage. After a good start for jockey Ryusei Sakai, Lemon Pop stalked the pace down the backstretch and through the sweeping turn into the uphill stretch climb.
He then quickly emerged from the field to open a daylight lead and survived a bold late run by Red Le Zele to seal the victory. Meisho Hario, after nearly dropping his rider at the start, rallied to get third.
"I'm grateful to have been given the chance to ride such a strong and favored horse and am happy we won," said Sakai, who rode Lemon Pop for the first time after the defection of his regular rider, Keita Tosaki. "I rode him in workouts and found out he was laid back and very easy to ride.
"Today we sat near the pace, just as planned. He responded well and pulled away strongly, all the way to the wire."
Lemon Pop was bred by Oliver and Amber Tait and produced by the Giant's Causeway mare Unreachable. Hiroyasu Tanaka trains for his owner, Godolphin.
The February was his eighth win to go along with three seconds from 11 starts—a record good enough to make him the favorite in the absence of Café Pharoah.
Tanaka said before the race a mile is probably Lemon Pop's outside distance limit, calling into question his status for the other Japanese group 1 dirt event, the Champions Cup (G1) at Chukyo Racecourse Dec. 3 at 1,800 meters (about 1 1/8 miles), or for the Breeders' Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita Park dirt.
Harry Sweeney, president of Godolphin in Japan, said the organization had to encourage Tanaka even to enter Lemon Pop at the one-mile trip.
"Lemon Pop has been invited to Dubai, but we won't be making a decision on this for some time yet," Sweeney added.
Shirl's Speight, last seen finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) on the Keeneland turf, was well positioned throughout with Joao Moreira in the irons. He was behind horses in the lane but never produced the effort that would have allowed Moreira to put him into contention.
"It's a strong race and Shirl's Speight wasn't capable of handling the track over here, which is extremely deeper than what he gets in North America," Moreira said. "In the straight, even if he did get held up a little, he wasn't really taking into the race indicating that he wasn't going to be competitive."
Trainer Roger Attfield said before the race he had doubts about turf specialist Shirl's Speight taking on top Japanese runners on an unfamiliar surface but said owner/breeder Charles Fipke insisted.
"From what the jockey was telling me, he wasn't enjoying the kickback that much, but I think he ran an okay race. I just think he's a superior turf horse, but we gave it a try," Attfield said after the February.
