Departing Retired to Claiborne Farm

Millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Departing has been officially retired, according to Claiborne Farm, which co-bred and co-raced the War Front   gelding with Adele Dilschneider.

Walker Hancock, Claiborne's president, said Departing is now settling in at the farm's old stallion barn where Lure and Parading reside.

"He ran a really good race, finishing second in the West Virginia Governor's Stakes and we were pointing him toward the Penn Mile (gr. IIIT)," Hancock said. "He started to get a little sore, so we gave him some time off. We were about to start back training again and X-rayed his ankles to make sure he was good to go and saw it was not in his best interest to push on him. He is a (6-year-old) gelding who ran hard and earned nearly $2 million, there was no need to push on a horse that is not 100%. He has been too good to us."

Departing is a multiple grade II winner, who made 27 starts from 2 through early August of his 6-year-old year. He earned more than $1.3 million at 3, when he won the Super Derby (gr. II), West Virginia Derby (gr. II), and the Illinois Derby (gr. III). In 2014 Departing finished third in the grade I Stephen Foster Handicap. He retires with a 9-6-4 record and total earnings of $1,968,229.

NOVAK: Departing Dusts Rivals in Illinois Derby

Regarding a second career, Hancock said it is possible but they will let the horse settle in first before anything is decided.

"My aunt Dell rides quite a bit, so she might try to make him a riding horse. Either way, he'll enjoy the rest of his life here at the farm," he said.