DERBY/OAKS DAWN PATROL: (5/1) Valeski out, Optimizer in..

[Danzig]

it was mark valeski:


Jones addressed the lost left-front shoe that may have impaired Mark Valeski in the Louisiana Derby, where he finished second behind $220 shocker Hero of Order. The shoe most likely came off when the colt was coming on to the track when Mark Valeski stumbled slightly.

It also could have been tossed right out of the gate, when he bumped with stablemate Mr. Bowling. The colt ran all with only three shoes and also injured one of his hind feet in the Louisiana Derby.
“Apparently my horse on the inside (Mr. Bowling) hit him leaving the gate,” Jones said. “They kind of got tangled up and he tore the bulb off his back foot. It just wasn’t meant to be that day. As much stuff as we had that didn’t go right and with a $220 horse that was just divine intervention, we have to throw that one out. What all happened that day can’t happen twice.

“He got clipped from behind--by our other horse, I’m sure--but we’re good now. We’ve got the bulb all healed up and we did have to get a special shoe to make sure the dirt didn’t hit him while he was training, to press the dirt down where it couldn’t get up and it could heal, and it has. He’s just getting better all the time.”


just had to take a few minutes to remember which horse, i'd been reading about so many lately!