Lemon Muffin stylishly graduates in Honeybee

Feb 24, 2024 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas enjoyed a stellar afternoon at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, one of the highlights being Lemon Muffin's maiden-breaking romp in the $400,000 Honeybee (G3), a Road to the Kentucky Oaks series prep.

The third winner on the card for Lukas, Lemon Muffin entered the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee off four consecutive second-place finishes in maiden company. But all had been around one turn, and Lemon Muffin clearly relished the added distance of the Honeybee.

'She was dying to go two turns. I knew it.' Lukas said. 'I kind of handicapped her keeping her short a couple times.'

A well-placed fifth down the backside, Lemon Muffin improved position approaching the quarter pole and was full of run when surging past Tapit Jenallie to take the lead in upper stretch. Ducking toward the rail while extending her lead, Lemon Muffin won easily by 3 1/2 lengths.

The Honeybee was the first graded stakes win for jockey Keith Asmussen, the son of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

Owned by Aaron Sones, Lemon Muffin covered the course in 1:45.60 over a fast track and paid $58.20. Tapit Jenallie held second by a half-length over 11-10 favorite West Omaha, who finished a neck ahead of Neom Beach. A nose farther back in fifth was Midshipman's Dance.

WOW! #7 Lemon Muffin breaks her maiden at 28/1 in the G3 Honeybee S. @oaklawnracing and earns 50 points towards the Kentucky Oaks!! 🌷@keithasm7 piloted the 3-year-old filly for trainer D. Wayne Lukas! 🤩💪

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/0iNuNEVtoR

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 24, 2024

The order of finish was rounded out by Martha Washington S. winner Band of Gold, In Just My Heels, Edistrudis, Honor Cat, and Alys Beach.

This was the seventh win in the Honeybee for Lukas, who won the first four editions from 1988-91. Among them was Imaginary Lady, who went on to finish second in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Lukas eventually pulled off the Honeybee/Kentucky Oaks double with Secret Oath in 2022.

Lemon Muffin earned 50 qualifying points toward the Oaks, virtually assuring her a spot in the field at Churchill Downs. Tapit Jenallie earned 25 points, increasing her total to 29 points, while West Omaha increased her total from 25 to 40. Neom Beach boosted her total from six to 16, and Midshipman's Dance earned five points.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Kuster and the Collected Syndicate, Lemon Muffin last sold for $140,000 as an OBS juvenile. The gray filly is a daughter of Collected and the Canadian Frontier mare Pelt.