Oaklawn winners vie at Churchill

Jon Court made a reputation at Oaklawn Park for riding longshot winners, a trait that has served him well at other tracks across the country.

At age 56, Court hopes to pull another surprise tonight at Churchil Downs.

Colonelsdarktemper, a last-out allowance winner at the Louisville, Ky. track, steps up in class for the Grade 3

$100,000 Matt Winn on the Stephen Foster Handicap undercard. Jinks Fires, Court’s father-in-law, trains the Colonel John colt for legendary former race-car driver A.J. Foyt Jr., whose past horses include Oaklawn multiple stakes winner Rare Brick.

Colonelsdarktemper won his Feb. 18 debut race at Oaklawn and placed fourth in the Northern Spur stakes on the Arkansas Derby undercard April 15. Eighth in the Grade

3 Pat Day Mile May 6, Colonelsdarktemper came back to nip the Bret Calhoun-trained Awesome Saturday by a neck going seven furlongs May 29. The Matt Winn is a mile and sixteenth on the Downs’ main track.

“I think he’s one of the better horses I’m riding right now,” Court said, “and this is a great spot for him.”

Colonelsdarktemper, breaking from post three, is

the 4-1 second choice to 4-5 program favorite McCraken, a Grade 2 winner at the Downs last fall and eighth in the Kentucky Derby May 6. Trained by Ian Wilkes, McCraken keeps Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard and carries 123 pounds, 5 more than each of his rivals.

“It’s a bit of a tough race overall with McCraken,” said Court. “That horse is a very nice looking colt for Ian. Hopefully we can just get a better trip than him.”

* Gun Runner, Oaklawn’s Grade 3 Razorback Handicap winner in February, returns to the scene of his Grade 1 Clark Handicap victory last fall in the featured Grade 1 $500,000 Stephen Foster. The 4-year-old colt is 4-5 program favorite, with Florent Geroux riding for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Third in last year’s Kentucky Derby, Gun Runner comes off a game second to champion colt Arrogate in the $10 million Dubai World Cup March 25. He carries 124 pounds over nine furlongs.

* Forever Unbridled, Oaklawn’s 2016 Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap winner, makes her 5-year-old debut in Churchill’s Grade 2 $200,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap at nine furlongs. Joel Rosario rides the Unbridled’s Song mare for trainer Dallas Stewart, breaking from the rail post carrying

123 pounds.

Forever Unbridled has not run since placing third to Eclipse Award winners Beholder and Songbird in the Grade

1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff last November at California’s Santa Anita Park. Since her last race, Forever Unbridled had a bone chip removed from her left-front ankle but has been in steady training since late April.

“The main thing I’m concerned with is the … distance Saturday,” Stewart said. “We toyed with the idea of running her next weekend … (at seven furlongs) but we think this spot will work as well.”