Kentucky Oaks 2006

Lemons earned a sweet victory in the Oaks (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com)

LEMONS FOREVER (Lemon Drop Kid) dropped a shocker on Churchill Downs Friday,
taking the 132nd running of the Kentucky Oaks by a 1 1/2-length margin as the 47-1 longest
shot on the board. The chestnut miss entered the 1 1/8-mile test having never
won a stakes event, with her best showing against black-type company coming as a
third in the Bourbonette Breeders’ Cup S. (G3) on Turfway Park’s Polytrack in
late March.

That didn’t stop the sophomore miss from showing the world her true colors,
and it wasn’t yellow. Lemons Forever and jockey Mark Guidry were the last to
enter the gate and settled into last from post 14 when the doors opened. Miss
Norman (Artax) was quickest from the gate, surging to the front from her rail
post and setting splits of :22 2/5 and :46 2/5 with Diplomat Lady (Forestry) and
Red Cherries Spin (With Approval) running just in behind her.

As the field continued on the backstretch, Miss Norman suddenly started
backing up, leaving Red Cherries Spin to set the pace through six furlongs in
1:11 2/5 and a mile in 1:37. It was to be a short lead, though, as the rest of
the strung-out field began bunching up around the final turn and Guidry gave
Lemons Forever a nudge. After traveling in last while four wide, Lemons Forever
circled the field on the turn, eventually ending up eight-wide in the stretch.
With Guidry urging her along, she overtook the now tiring leaders and drew off
to stop the clock on the fast track in 1:50.

Ermine (Exchange Rate) split horses in the stretch after running near the
back to take second by 1 1/4 lengths over Bushfire (Louis Quatorze), who was
never far off the pace and wound up a length in front of Wait a While
(Maria’s Mon) at the wire. However, a stewards’ inquiry was immediately posted,
and soon after Red Cherries Spin’s trainer, Bernie Flint, lodged a claim of foul
against Bushfire, who bumped her rival a couple of times in the stretch before
lugging in and causing her to steady. Bushfire was eventually taken down for
interfering with Red Cherries Spin and placed sixth, giving Wait a While the
show spot.

Lemons Forever picked a good spot to earn her first stakes win (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com)

Red Cherries Spin was moved up to fifth after Bushfire was placed sixth. Last
Romance (Wild Rush), Top Notch Lady (Sultry Song), Quiet Kim (Real Quiet), Itty
Bitty Pretty (El Corredor), 8-5 favorite Balance (Thunder Gulch), Miss Norman
and Diplomat Lady completed the order of finish under the wire. Ex Caelis
(Fusaichi Pegasus), who sat down in the gate prior to the start before rearing
up, was eased.

Bred by Farfellow Farms Ltd., the Kentucky-bred Lemons Forever is the first
registered foal out of the multiple Group 2 winner Critikola (Arg) (Touch
Critic), who ran third in the 2001 runnings of the Santa Margarita Invitational H. (G1) and Santa
Maria H. (G1) when coming to the United States. Critikola also has two unnamed
foals, a juvenile filly by Aptitude and a yearling Pulpit colt.