Great chance for Mark Valeski to prove that he is the best out there in the Louisiana Derby
Trainer Larry Jones couldn’t have asked for a better stage for his 3-year-old colt, Mark Valeski, to shine before the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at about 1 ¼ miles on 5 May, 2012. It’s an evenly matched field in the Grade 1, $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair
Grounds Race Course, where Mark Valeski has a chance to prove himself and get into contention of the early declared favourites for the Run of the Roses.
In his four starts Brereton C. Jones’s Mark Valeski hasn’t been tested to core yet, but he is battle tested in a grade 2 event, where he went 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 2 Risen Stakes and finished a nose adrift of El Padrino, who is showing some remarkable
improvement in his sophomore season.
Prior to the Grade 2 Risen Stakes, the Kentucky bred son of Proud Citizen, Mark Valeski won his maiden special weight race at second asking and then immediately downed an allowance/optional test at Fair Grounds Race Course going at 6 furlongs.
Mark Valeski will be coupled with his stable mate, Mr. Bowling in the Louisiana Derby, but out of mare Pocho’s Dream Girl by Fortunate Prospect was pegged as the 2 to 1 favourite ahead of the race, which has reeled in a full field of 14 3-year-old colts
to run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on 1 April, 2012.
The colt has worked twice after his run in the Risen Stakes, but the most prominent out of the two was when he posted a five furlong bullet in 1 minute and 3/5 seconds at Fair Grounds, and the work turned out to be fastest of 14 works at the distance.
“He worked fabulous this morning. It wasn’t as fast as it was last week but I don’t think it needed to be,” Napravnik said in a national teleconference. “He’s feeling great; he probably felt as good in his breeze this morning as he has since I sat on him
for the first time.”
“He’s done nothing but impress me every time I sit on the horse. He just exudes class and I think he’s the real deal. I just have tons of confidence going into the Louisiana Derby.”
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