Lemon

ELMONT, N.Y. - Scotty Schulhofer, trainer of Lemon Drop Kid, swore he didn't get excited, not in the least. He had to be the only one. In what could turn out to be the race of the year, Lemon Drop Kid battled Behrens stride for stride, bob for bob, down the stretch yesterday in the $500,000 Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park. With former Maryland jockey Edgar Prado riding furiously, Lemon Drop Kid prevailed by a head in the rich late-afternoon sunlight to solidify his claim on Horse of the Year honors.

When I looked at my calendar for the coming week, I couldn't believe my eyes. On Sunday, my women's investment group was having a potluck, for which I had volunteered a dessert. On Thursday evening, there was the buffet at our house for my husband's freshman college class. Good friends were coming on Saturday for a short weekend visit. Add to that a cooking class for 30 midweek, and you can understand my anxiety. I needed simple recipes to tackle all this entertaining. Since the potluck party was first, I started looking for a sweet confection to take to that gathering.

ELMONT, N.Y. - As Lemon Drop Kid rolled through one big race after another, Jinny Vance kept her opinion mostly to herself. But yesterday, Vance, who owns the horse with her husband, Laddie Dance, may as well have been standing on a soapbox as she glowed in morning sunlight on the Belmont Park backstretch. "This is an awesome horse, I keep telling you," Vance said to reporters. "Nobody listens to me, for Christ's sake. His record is tough to beat, and if he doesn't get Horse of the Year, heads are going to roll."

Residents of Menton, located on the French Riviera near the Italian frontier, recount an interesting footnote to the Book of Genesis. It's the story of the lemon.As the tale goes, just before abandoning Eden, Eve filched a lemon for the road. Upon finding the purloined fruit, Adam insisted she discard it before God found out -- after all, they had already suffered one gastronomical mishap with the Almighty. Reluctantly, Eve agreed, on the condition she could choose when and where to relinquish the memento.

Lemon-peppermint sticks, ugly ties, pretty hats, maypole dancing and lots of flowers. It can only mean one thing: Flower Mart 2003. This year's Flower Mart takes over Mount Vernon Place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and offers its usual array of floral displays, crafts, activities, entertainment and delicacies. Exotic flowers, bedding plants and plenty more greenery will be on display and for sale. Visitors can check out the specialty garden or watch floral demonstrations. But who are we kidding?

Tiznow, a late-developing 3-year-old who closed out 2000 with a smashing victory in the Breeders' Cup Classic, was named Horse of the Year last night at the annual Eclipse Awards dinner in New Orleans. A California-bred stabled in Southern California, Tiznow was an overwhelming choice for racing's highest honor. He defeated Lemon Drop Kid and Kona Gold, who were the other finalists for the award. Campaigned by Jinny Vance and Laddie Dance, Lemon Drop Kid claimed an Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding older horse.

VERSAILLES, Ky. - The transfer took place on a sunny, cool, breezy, brilliant morning in the heart of Kentucky bluegrass. At 9:32 a.m. yesterday, Lemon Drop Kid stepped off the blue-and-white Brook Ledge van onto the loading platform at Lane's End farm. At that moment he passed from ownership by Jinny Vance and Laddie Dance to ownership by Lane's End, a stunningly beautiful breeding center near Lexington. Lemon Drop Kid's career as a racehorse ended, and his career as a stallion began.

By itself, the lemon, unlike so many other fruits, has no business being a dessert. But since its very sourness is a perfect match for sweet ingredients, the lemon is a tasty launching point for pies, curds, puddings, tarts and cakes.Sugar is the first ingredient that comes to mind when trying to soften that lemon tang, but coconut or white chocolate can mellow the tartness and acidity as well. Naturally sweet or rich nuts also make a good foil to lemon.Lemon also forms a nice partnership with other fruits.

There is a chance the outcome of tonight's game will rest with Cleo Lemon. Lemon, an undrafted rookie out of Arkansas State, is battling Wes Pate to be the third quarterback. He is expected to get his first opportunity of the preseason in the middle of the fourth quarter against the New York Jets. Lemon will follow Chris Redman and Jeff Blake in the rotation. Pate, who completed his only pass attempt against the Detroit Lions last week for 15 yards, is not expected to play. "I'm going to go out and make plays and try to move the team," Lemon said.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Like most racehorse owners, Jinny Vance is superstitious. She likes things to go just right before a race. Yesterday, things for the co-owner of Lemon Drop Kid couldn't have gone any better. The colt drew post No. 7 for the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday at Churchill Downs. "I'm a nut," said Vance, who with husband Laddie Dance owns Lemon Drop Kid as well as a horse farm in Baltimore County. "I look for signs prior to a race. If things work a certain way, that's a sign things will go well."