Departing: Beware the Fresh Horse in Preakness 2013

Admittedly, calling this year’s Illinois Derby, the Preakness Prep, as I did several times before the $750,000 race, was just a little bit about sticking it to the powers that be at Churchill Downs Inc. I mean fair is fair. CDI had snubbed the richest dirt race in Illinois big time, but still, there was enough meat behind expecting at least one horse out of the Illinois Derby to make their way to Pimlico four weeks later, for me to roll with the ‘Preakness Prep’ tag. By the time the full field of 14 hit the eighth pole, I knew that my nickname for the race was all too real. 

Departing is a good looking homebred son of War Front that I’ve liked for some time. Written about several times here on the pages of ZATT, the gelding was one of my favorite new finds of the winter, and after three easy scores, followed by a good third in the Louisiana Derby, it was time to see what he could do in person. Stuck way outside in the large field, I did not expect things to be too easy for Departing in the Illinois Derby. I would be pleasantly surprised with just how easy he made it look that afternoon at Hawthorne.

Hung out wide for most of the race, and farther back than ever before, Departing dismantled the remaining 13 horses in the field with disdainful ease. Closing from off the pace, while running on Lasix for the first time, the Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider runner won the 1 1/8 mile race under wraps as the 9-5 favorite. What I saw that day was a lightly raced horse overcoming the long way around, quickly extending his advantage after sweeping to the lead, and then coasting home with little encouragement. Departing may have hit the wire only 3 ¼ lengths ahead, but he was tons the best. It was a performance good enough for a blind man to know that Preakness 2013 should be next.

Now just days away from racing’s Middle Jewel, I feel more confident than ever that Departing is the real deal. He also arrives to Baltimore with a real advantage over Orb and the other five horses that competed in the Kentucky Derby. While all of them were pointed to peak on the first Saturday in May, and then had to run the big race just two weeks ago, Departing was at home resting. Resting and refreshing, and maturing for trainer Al Stall. He comes to the Preakness as the fresh horse. That’s the thing about the new shooters, they do hold a real advantage, but often their talent does not measure up to take advantage against the best horses of their crop.

I see Departing as a little different than most new shooters, though. The Louisiana Derby, his only loss in five starts, has proven to be a key race. And make no mistake, Departing was still learning back them. With that experience, and then the confidence building performance in the Illinois Derby, he not only has the advantage of being fresh, but I see him as the second most talented horse in the Preakness field. That would seem to be a most dangerous combination.