Runaway Fair Grounds allowance winner Another Lemon Drop continues
to progress in the mornings as he prepares for his stakes debut for trainer
Philip Bauer and owner Rigney Racing.
The son of Lemon Drop Kid exits an
off-the-turf allowance victory going a mile in the slop at the New Orleans
venue on December 19 in which he
easily scored by five lengths over a field that included favored and highly regarded runner-up
Distant Kingdom. On Friday, he worked a strong half-mile in :49 — good for
fifth-best of 39 works at the distance.
“He looked good this morning and we’re pointing toward the
(Grade 3, $200,000) Lecomte Stakes (going a mile and 70 yards) on (January) 17th,” Bauer said. “We’ll give him
one more work and are really happy with the way he’s progressing. Calvin wants
to stick with the horse and as long as he wants him, we’ll stick with him. It’s
nice to have someone on his back who believes in him.”
Another Lemon Drop has consistently kept good company lines.
In his first start over the grass at Churchill Downs he finished fourth behind
subsequent stakes colts Wayward Kitten and Majestico. Wayward Kitten finished
fourth in Saturday’s Grade 3 Dania Beach Stakes at
Gulfstream Park and Majestico was a solid fourth in the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland in October.
After breaking his maiden going nine furlongs on the grass
next out at Keeneland, Another Lemon Drop ran into subsequent Grade 1 Los Alamitos
Futurity winner Dortmund when filling the third spot in his dirt debut in an allowance
at Churchill Downs. Said race was the first time the long-winded dark bay colt had raced only one turn and he closed from ninth to
third, beaten 8 3/4 lengths. Three weeks later, he returned to the winner’s circle
at Fair Grounds.
“Age and distance are going to help the horse,” Bauer
added. “He will run all day and may even be a better four-year-old than
three-year-old if he keeps progressing. The way he did (the work on Friday) was nice. We
don’t ask too much from our horses in the morning. He galloped out well and
looked well within himself.”
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com