Charming Lassie, dam of champion and millionaire Lemon Drop Kid, died March 12, several hours after foaling a Storm Cat filly. The filly was placed on a nurse mare at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm near Versailles, Ky.
Charming Lassie raced as a homebred for Farish and William S. Kilroy, winning her only start, a maiden race at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old. She was retired to Lane's End and produced nine foals, three of them stakes winners. The best of the group, Lemon Drop Kid, earned an Eclipse Award as best older male of 2000 for owner Jeanne Vance. His grade I wins during his career came in the Belmont, Travers, Woodward, and Futurity Stakes, plus the Whitney Handicap. A $3,245,370-earner, Lemon Drop Kid stands at Lane's End.
Charming Lassie, whose half-sister, prominent producer Weekend Surprise, died a day earlier, also is represented by stakes winners Sovereign Sage and Brulay. The latter won the 1998 Railbird Stakes (gr. II).
Fourteen-year-old Charming Lassie (Seattle Slew -- Lassie Dear, by Buckpasser) produced a total of five winners.
