Departing cruises in Super Derby

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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