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Lemon Pop Claims Wire-to-Wire Victory in This Year’s Champions Cup

Race favorite and this year’s February Stakes victor Lemon Pop led the field wire-to-wire in the Champions Cup to become the fourth horse in history to win both G1 dirt events in the same year—Gold Dream won both races in 2017, Transcend in 2011 and Wing Arrow in 2000. The son of Lemon Drop Kid kicked off this season with consecutive wins in the Negishi Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,400m) and the February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) and, though defeated to 10th in his first overseas endeavor, the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1, dirt, 1,200m), won his comeback start back home in the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (dirt, 1,600m) on October 9 with an overwhelming 2.0-second margin before coming into this race. Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka and jockey Ryusei Sakai marked their second and fourth JRA-G1 victories, respectively, following their win with this horse in the February Stakes.

Lemon Pop, quick out of the gate from the widest stall, accelerated strongly to assume command. The five-year-old chestnut maintained his lead and continued to run persistently after entering the lane, holding off the strong challenges from behind to clear the wire with a 1-1/4-length margin.

“He was quick out of the gate and wanted to go, so I chose to race him in the front. Though it was his first 1,800-meter race and the outermost stall was not to his advantage, I think he handled it well with his remarkable ability. He was really strong. That’s all I can say. I’m really looking forward to his future races,” commented Ryusei Sakai.

Twelfth pick Wilson Tesoro traveled second from the rear on the rails after a poor break and angled out to enter the lane. While unable to find a clear path at the early stretch, the Kitasan Black colt switched further out around 350 meters out and launched the fastest late drive to overtake all his rivals but the winner to finish second.

Ninth favorite Dura Erede tracked 1-1/2 lengths behind the leader in second, closed the gap at the final corner but failed to catch the winner and while overtaken by the fast-closing runner-up just before the wire, secured third place by a neck after dueling with T O Keynes.

Other Horses:
4th: (4) T O Keynes—sat around 4th on rails, dueled with Dura Erede behind winner, weakened in final strides
5th: (2) Meisho Hario—saved ground around 10th, improved position but needed more
6th: (11) Hagino Alegrias—settled in 9th, angled out, showed brief effort but lacked needed kick
7th: (1) Make a Leap—hugged rails in 7th, drifted to outside 300m out, never threatened
8th: (10) Notturno—sat in 12th, drifted to outside at final corner, unable to reach contention
9th: (8) Ater Astraea—positioned around 13th, turned wide, passed tired rivals
10th: (12) Seraphic Call—trailed in rear, made headway with 800m to go, circled wide, even paced
11th: (9) Crown Pride—ran wide around 5th, checked 300m out, lost momentum
12th: (13) Keiai Shelby—chased leaders in 3rd, checked 300m out, faded
13th: (6) Gloria Mundi—raced wide in 7th, switched to outside at early stretch then to inside, never fired
14th: (14) Icon Tailor—traveled wide around 10th, driven after 3rd corner, unable to respond
15th: (3) Geoglyph—settled around 5th, outrun after final corner

THE 24TH CHAMPIONS CUP (G1) – Japan Autumn International -
3-year-olds & up, 1,800 meters (about 9 furlongs), dirt, left-handed
Sunday, December 3, 2023       Chukyo Racecourse           11th Race           Post Time: 15:30
Total prize money: ¥ 259,200,000 (about US$ 1,978,626 <US$1=¥131>)
3-y-o: 57 kg (about 126 lbs), 4-y-o & up: 58 kg (about 128 lbs)
2 kg allowance for Fillies & Mares, 2kg allowance for Southern Hemisphere-bred born in 2020
Course Record: 1:47.6              Race Record: 1:48.5 [Chrysoberyl (JPN, by Gold Allure), 2019]
Safety factor: 16 runners           Going: Standard                Weather: Fine

Turnover for the Race alone: ¥ 16,930,215,400      Turnover for the Day: ¥ 23,151,136,600      Attendance: 28,611

Winner= 14 starts: 10 wins & 3 seconds / Added & stakes money: ¥ 123,318,000 / Career earnings: ¥ 481,756,000

* Champions Cup (G1)

Formerly run under the name Japan Cup Dirt until 2013, the Champions Cup takes place at Chukyo Racecourse which is situated in Chubu region between Tokyo and Osaka. The Japan Cup Dirt, which began as the dirt version of the Japan Cup in 2000 at Tokyo Racecourse held over the 2,100-meter left-handed course until 2007, was temporarily shifted to Nakayama Racecourse over the 1,800-meter right-handed course in 2002, then held at Hanshin Racecourse, also a right-handed track and over 1,800 meters, between 2008 and 2013. Seventeen of the past 22 winners of the Champions Cup, which is one of JRA’s two dirt G1 races along with the February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m), have won the season’s JRA Award for Best Dirt Horse.
Lord Sterling (USA, by Black Tie Affair), who finished third in the inaugural year, was one of the first foreign contenders, while Fleetstreet Dancer (USA, by Smart Strike) became the first foreign winner in 2003. In the past, 29 runners from not only North America but also from France, Germany, Great Britain and Hong Kong have participated in the race including 2018 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1, dirt, 1,800m) winner Pavel (USA, by Creative Cause) from the U.S. who finished 15th in 2018.
While last year’s champion Jun Light Bolt (JPN, H6, by King Kamehameha) retired from racing, runner-up Crown Pride came off a win in the Korea Cup (G3, dirt, 1,800m, Sep.10), followed by Gloria Mundi in second. February Stakes (G1, dirt, 1,600m) champion Lemon Pop came into the race as the winner of the Mile Championship Nambu Hai (dirt, 1,600m, Oct.9) where 2022 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas, G1, 2,000m) winner Geoglyph was ninth. Contenders coming off the JBC Classic (dirt, 2,000m, Nov.3) included 2022 Japan Dirt Derby (dirt, 2,000m) winner Notturno (2nd), 2021 Best Dirt Horse T O Keynes (3rd), back-to-back Teio Sho (dirt, 2,000m) victor Meisho Hario (4th) and three-time NAR graded winner Wilson Tesoro (5th). This year’s Champions Cup field also included Hagino Alegrias, Icon Tailor and Seraphic Call, respective victors of the Sirius Stakes (G3, dirt, 2,000m, Sep.30), the JBC Ladies’ Classic (dirt, 1,800m, Nov.3) and the Miyako Stakes (G3, dirt, 1,800m, Nov.5) as well as Dura Erede, victor of the 2022 Hopeful Stakes (G1, 2,000m) and runner-up in the 2023 UAE Derby (G2, dirt, 1,900m).