Lemon Drop Kid Wins Whitney, Fox Series

Jeanne Vance's Lemon Drop Kid won his third consecutive race since adding blinkers after a third-place finish in the Pimlico Special (gr. I), winning the $1,042,000 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) by two lengths over Cat Thief Sunday at Saratoga.

Lemon Drop Kid saved ground on the inside around the first turn, stalked early leaders -- David, Cat Thief, and Golden Missile -- in fifth position as they raced a half-mile in :46.64, and surged to the lead with a four-wide move on the second turn to win by two at the wire. Under Edgar Prado, the 4-year-old colt completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.30 over a track labeled good. The Whitney was the sixth career race on an off track for Lemon Drop Kid, and his first win on a surface other than fast. Behrens came home third, followed by Running Stag, Golden Missile, and David. As the slight favorite at just over 2-1, Lemon Drop Kid paid $6.10, $3.60, and $2.60. The winning exacta returned $56.50.

The win is Lemon Drop Kid's fourth of the year. Previous to the Whitney, he earned victories in both the Suburban Handicap (gr. II) and Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II), after his third-place finish in the Pimlico Special. He began the year in March with a victory on the track in the Widener Handicap (gr. III) before being disqualified and placed fourth. In April, he finished on even terms with End of the Road to become a dead-heat winner of an Aqueduct allowance race.

Lemon Drop Kid (Kingmambo--Charming Lassie, by Seattle Slew) is trained by Flint Schulhofer and was bred in Kentucky by William S. Farish and William S. Kilroy. He earned $680,000 for the win, his ninth in 21 starts. (Chart, Equibase)