Departing returns in Wednesday feature after seven-month layoff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Kentucky Derby Week typically allures the occasional big-name horse, even outside of the major stakes races Friday and Saturday. True to form, there was Departing on the overnight sheet when entries were released for a 10-race Wednesday card at Churchill Downs.

“Trying to find a comeback spot for a horse like this without conditions can be pretty tough,” said Al Stall Jr., who trains the homebred Departing for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider. “We’re just glad the race filled.”

Departing, a 4-year-old gelding by War Front, was a standout last year, winning 5 of 8 starts and earning more than $1.3 million before ending his campaign on a down note by finishing fourth as the 3-10 favorite in the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in September.

Stall said before and after the Oklahoma race that Departing was headed to the sidelines for a deserved break, and he reiterated early Monday at Churchill that “there hasn’t been a thing wrong” with the horse.

“It was all ‘R and R’ strictly by design,” Stall said. “He spent about 75 days at Claiborne and then came down to me at Fair Grounds.”

Starting Feb. 19, Departing has had seven recorded workouts – four at Fair Grounds, followed by three at Churchill.

“There’s not a pimple on him,” Stall said. “We just want to get a good race under him. He’s training awesome, so hopefully he fires first out and gets all set up for the rest of the year. Everybody’s fired up that he’s in the entry box, and we’re ready to roll.”

Stall demurred when asked whether the June 14 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill would be the next goal, assuming all goes well.

“You know how that goes,” Stall said.

Departing, with regular rider Robby Albarado back aboard, will break from post 3 in the ninth race Wednesday, a $58,000, multi-conditioned allowance to be run as a one-turn mile on the main track. As the winner of the Illinois Derby, West Virginia Derby, and Super Derby during his outstanding sophomore season, he is listed as the even-money favorite on the morning line.

The top challenges from his eight opponents could come from two other layoff horses: Take It Like a Man (post 2, Leandro Goncalves), also a winner of five races last year at 3, most notably the $400,000 Researcher at Charles Town; and Pass the Dice (post 4, Joel Rosario), who ended 2013 with back-to-back 100 Beyer Speed Figures.

One other allowance (race 7) is on a Wednesday card that starts with noticeably small fields, hopefully not a telltale sign of what standard fare will be as the 38-day spring meet unfolds.

Through Thursday, first post here is 12:45 p.m. Eastern. First post both Friday (Kentucky Oaks) and Saturday (Kentucky Derby) is 10:30 a.m.