DEPARTING captured his fourth Graded event and pushed career earnings to $1,720,559 with a bold move along the inside to win the Firecracker S.-G2 by 1/2 length. Making only his second lifetime start on turf, the Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider homebred settled off the pace early racing one mile. DEPARTING snuck through a narrow opening along the hedge into the homestretch, was bumped and brushed the hedge at the top of lane, but battled his way to the lead and stayed in front the rest of the way home. His other Graded wins were three Derbies: the West Virginia Derby-G2, the Super Derby-G2 and the Illinois Derby-G3. Out of the PULPIT mare Leave, DEPARTING’s victory gave Claiborne Farm its 33rd Churchill stakes victory, tying Calumet Farm for the all-time record by an owner.
