Departing could flatter Cigar Street with Fayette win
There will be no horses in Saturday’s closing day feature at Keeneland wheeling back a week later in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, yet those handicapping America’s richest race on November 1 might do well to take a long look at what unfolds in the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes.
Let’s get this disclaimer out of the way immediately ... I have been a fan/supporter of Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s Departing since before his first stakes attempt try last March. While hitting more bumps riding the Departing bandwagon than I would have hoped, the now four-year-old son of War Front did manage to win a trio of graded stakes last year, consisting of the Illinois, West Virginia, and Super Derbies. In 2014, though, the bay gelding has yet to hit paydirt in the bigger races. He has a 3-0-1-1 mark in graded stakes action so far this year, after smartly scoring in his seasonal debut in an optional claiming race at Churchill Downs. I believe that 0’fer in graded stakes this year is primed to come to an end on Saturday, and if I’m right, the Fayette winner could go a long way in legitimizing the class of Breeders’ Cup Classic entrant Cigar Street.
Trained by Al Stall Jr., who knows winning both the Fayette and BC Classic thanks to Blame, the winner of the pair of stakes in 2009 and 2010 respectively for the same connections, Departing comes into the closing day feature off a solid runner-up effort in the Homecoming Classic at Churchill Downs four weeks ago. Just how solid that effort truly was might depend on your feeling about the lightly raced winner, Cigar Street. If you think that Cigar Street is the real deal, and has a legitimate shot in the Classic, you have to like Departing’s chances of earning his 8th victory in 14 starts on Saturday.
Quid pro quo, a good looking, winning performance by the Homecoming Classic runner-up should only bolster the hopes of those looking at Cigar Street as a major threat in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. A victory by Departing in the Fayette is by far a foregone conclusion, though. While it is true that the current cream of the 2014 crop is out in California for the World Championships, this 1 1/8 miles, main track test offers no easy day at the office for the morning line 5-2 favorite.
Chief among his competition at Keeneland will be the enigmatic Long River, who on his best day can compete with the very best, as evidenced by his most recent effort when he was a game foe to another pair of BC Classic runners, Tonalist and Zivo, while third in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. Not far behind him that afternoon was another Fayette runner, Stephanoatseee, who did not have the best of trips at Belmont Park while rallying for fifth.
The remainder of the Fayette field consists of five others, none of which can be thrown out with any confidence. Call Me George and Pick of the Litter both ran well to finish not far behind Departing, when third and fourth respectively in Cigar Street’s Homecoming Classic. Coltimus Prime has proven to be one of Canada’s top three-year-olds, and scored in the middle jewel of their triple crown, the Prince of Wales two starts back. And finally, both Mister Marti Gras and Code West are experienced stakes performers that come into the Fayette sporting solid recent form.
Despite the obvious depth of this field, this is Departing’s race to lose, in my opinion. And if we do see an impressive victory by him in the Fayette, it would only go to strengthen my feelings on Cigar Street’s chances in the big one.