Mark Valeski still very much a part of the Derby trail according to Jones
The 3-year-old Larry Jones trained colt, Mark Valeski, was sent as the 3 to 2 favourite to win the last week’s Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course, but an unexpected upset of epic proportions spoiled the part for the Kentucky Derby contender, and the final prep race before the next month’s Run for the Roses.
There were rumours that, Mark Valeski, has come out of the race lame and will be off the Derby trail, but trainer Larry Jones have shunned the possibility out by saying that his colt is still scheduled to run in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.
Brereton C. Jones homebred Mark Valeski finished second to the 109 to 1 choice, Hero of Order, in the Louisiana Derby, but under jockey Rosie Napravnik, he was just off the mark by half a length.
Jones did say that the horse wasn’t a hundred percent coming out of the Louisiana Derby, because he did notice a limp in his gait.
“Apparently he pulled a shoe in the post parade; Rosie said he didn’t warm up as well as he did for his last race,” Jones said. “Also, it looked like he also got hit on a back heel early in the race. But all is well now. He’s still on the Derby trail. If he has enough earnings he’ll go, if he doesn’t then we’re just going to take that as a sign that he wasn’t meant to run.”
The Kentucky bred son of Proud Citizen, out of mare Pocho’s Dream by Fortunate Prospect, Mark Valeski ran two graded stakes races in his career, and in both of them he finishes second. With $260,000 in graded stakes earnings, Mark Valeski sits at on eighteen in the graded earnings list for the Kentucky Derby.
Mark Valeski is at Keeneland and according to his trainer the 3-year-old Kentucky Derby prospect is doing well.
"There are no issues from running on a bare foot," Jones added. "There is no bruising, so that's a good sign. We still think he's an improving horse, his speed and Rag numbers improved again."
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