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THE PREAKNESS STAKES

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Pimlico Track Conditions: TBA

Turf Condition: TBA

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Departing

Mylute

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Will Take Charge

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Itsmyluckyday

Teeth of the Dog

Departing

Pending

Confirmed

Lineage: 3 yo Gelding Sire: War Front Dam: Leave

Race Records: 5-4-0-1 Gross Earnings: $628,000

Making a six-wide move under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., Departing swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and cruised to a 3 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby on April 20 at Hawthorne Park, punching his ticket to Baltimore.

A gelded bay son of Grade 2-winning sprinter War Front, Departing has lost only once in five lifetime starts, when he was third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby behind Revolutionary and Mylute, who ran third and fifth, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby.

Departing raced only once at 2, breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on December 22. He opened his 3-year-old season with an optional claiming win at Fair Grounds on February 1, then drew off for a 2 ¾-length victory in the $50,000 Texas Heritage Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park.

Photos & Videos

Photos
Videos

Champagne Stakes-10-0612

Texas Heritage Stakes 3-2-13

Jockey Club Stakes-12-09-12

Louisiana Derby 3-30-13

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Past Performances

Video	Date	Track	Race	Distance	Finish
Link	4/20/2013	Hawthorne	Illinois Derby - Gr. 3	1 1/8 M	1
Link	3/30/2013	Fair Grounds	Louisiana Derby - Gr. 2	1 1/8 M	3
Link	3/2/2013	Sam Houston	Texas Heritage	1 M	1
Link	2/1/2013	Fair Grounds	ALW Oclm	1 M 70 Yrds	1
Link	12/22/2012	Fair Grounds	MSW	6 F	1

Jockey

Brian Hernandez, Jr.

Though competing in his first Preakness, Hernandez has the distinction of being the original rider of 2009 Preakness winning-filly Rachel Alexandra, aboard for each of her first five career starts, including her first two victories in June and October of 2008.

Born Nov. 3, 1985 in Lafayette, La., Hernandez rode his first career winner on Nov. 29, 2003 at Delta Downs. The following year, he captured 243 races and was voted the Eclipse Award as top apprentice jockey.

Hernandez picked up his 1,000^th lifetime victory on Aug. 12, 2012 at Ellis Park, and celebrated his 27^th birthday by winning the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic with Fort Larned at Santa Anita Park.

Last year turned into a breakthrough season for Hernandez, who also won the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga Race Course and Cornhusker Handicap with Fort Larned, as well as the Ack Ack Handicap and Indiana Derby with Neck ‘n Neck, and the Indiana Oaks with Grace Hall. He finished with 128 wins and a career-high $8,034,048 in purse earnings.

Owner

Claiborne/Dilschneider

Adele B. Dilschneider - Claiborne Farm

One of racing’s most successful and storied operations, Claiborne Farm celebrated its 100^th anniversary in 2011, presented that year with an Eclipse Award of Merit for outstanding achievement in thoroughbred racing.

Claiborne is now run by the son of late A.B. “Bull” Hancock, 62-year-old Seth Hancock, who graduated from the University of Kentucky’s School of Agriculture in 1971.

In addition to his duties as partner and farm manager, Hancock is also a director at Keeneland, a member of The Jockey Club, vice chairman of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders’ Association and a member of the American Graded Stakes Committee, and served on the Churchill Downs board of directors from 1973 to 2008.

Dilschneider has been a long time Claiborne client and friend to the Hancock family, who sits on the board of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. Her grandfather, John Olin, owned and bred 1974 Kentucky Derby winner Cannonade.

Trainer

Albert M. Stall, Jr.

Though he has had only one previous Preakness starter, Grade 3 winner Terrain, who was seventh in 2007, the New Orleans born and bred horseman is no stranger to Pimlico, having won the Grade 3 William Donald Schaefer Memorial with Blame in 2010 and Apart in 2011.

Holder of a bachelor’s degree in geology from Louisiana State University, Stall, 51, saddled Blame to an upset victory over Zenyatta in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic, the super mare’s final career start. Zenyatta would go on to be named Horse of the Year, while Blame was voted older male champion.

Under Stall’s care, Blame won the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga, the Grade 1 Stephen Foster and Grade 2 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs and the Grade 2 Fayette at Keeneland, also running second in the Grade 2 Super Derby and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Stall was also the trainer of Star Guitar, a three-time Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year who won 24 of 30 lifetime starts and 17 stakes races since 2007. He ended his career last fall on a 10-race win streak, not having lost since finishing fourth in the 2010 Gold Cup Stakes at Delta Downs.

In 1991, Stall opened a public stable with one horse at Arlington Park, picking up his first winner in August of that year with $25,000 claimer Scottish Fantasy, a horse owned by his father. He has gone on to win two training titles at Fair Grounds, his hometown track, and became trainer for Claiborne Farm upon the retirement of Frank Brothers in 2007.

Stall’s father, Albert, is a member of the Fair Grounds Hall of Fame and was chairman of the Louisiana Racing Commission before retiring in 2004 after 28 years.

Breeder

Claiborne/Dilschneider

Adele B. Dilschneider - Claiborne Farm

Passed down through the Hancock family for over a century, 2,700-acre Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky. has been home to some of racing top stallions including 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, who is buried on the grounds.

Claiborne has campaigned four Eclipse Award champions in Blame, Forty Niner, Moccasin and Swale, the latter winning the Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1984. Eclipse Award winner as top breeder in 1979 and 1984, Claiborne has been the premiere North American breeder by money won 10 times.

The farm was founded in 1911 by A.B. Hancock Sr., who transferred his operation to Kentucky from Virginia, and passed the business on to his son, A.B. “Bull” Hancock in 1947. Since 1972, Claiborne has been run by Bull Hancock’s son, Seth.

Claiborne and Adele Dilschneider have collaborated on stakes winners Cease, Rumor and Plethora, but are best known for campaigning Blame, the champion older male of 2010 who defeated Zenyatta in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, his fifth graded stakes victory and third in a Grade 1 race.

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