Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider’s homebred Departing made his move on
the far turn and dominated through the stretch in Saturday’s Grade 2, $490,000
Super
Derby, scoring by four lengths on the fast track at Louisiana Downs. An 8
3/4-length winner of West Virginia Derby on August 3, the gelded son of
War Front notched his second consecutive impressive stakes victory when
completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.
Robby Albarado had the mount for trainer Al Stall Jr.
Departing settled a few lengths behind Ruler of Love, who sprinted to the
fore at the break and showed the way through splits of :23 3/5 and :49 1/5. The
pacesetter was still clinging to a short lead after six furlongs in 1:13 1/5,
but Departing advanced to draw even midway on the final bend and began to edge
away as they turned for home.
With little encouragement from his rider, Departing drew off in the final
furlong while cruising to the finish line. The bay was favored at 1-5 among
seven three-year-old rivals and paid $2.60 to win.
A Kentucky-bred, Departing captured his career debut at Fair Grounds in late
December, taking a maiden special weight by 2 1/4 lengths, and then rolled to a
4 1/2-length victory over entry-level allowance rivals at the New Orleans track
in early February. He improved to three for three when making his stakes debut
in the March 2 Texas Heritage at Sam Houston, winning by 2 3/4 lengths.
The late runner sustained his first setback in his graded stakes bow, a
respectable third-place effort behind Revolutionary and Mylute in the March 30
Louisiana Derby, and rebounded to take the April 20 Illinois Derby by a widening
3 1/4-length margin. That earned him a shot in the middle leg of the Triple
Crown, the May 18 Preakness Stakes, and Departing offered a menacing move into
contention on the far turn before weakening to sixth in the final furlongs.
He was freshened 2 1/2 months afterward, returning to action in the
aforementioned West Virginia Derby, and Departing earned $300,000 for his Super
Derby triumph, increasing his bankroll to $1,379,500 from an 8-6-0-1 mark. The
only glaring omission from his resume is a Grade 1 victory.
Departing was produced by the Pulpit mare Leave, a full sister to stakes
winner Laity. Leave is also a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Trip and to
stakes queen Joke, the dam of multiple Grade 1-winning freshman sire
Zensational. Departing’s second dam is stakes-winning Tour.
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