Fires targets allowance race for stakes winner

Trainer Jinks Fires, of Hot Springs, recently said major stakes winner Colonelsdarktemper is targeting a mid-March allowance race for his 4-year-old debut.

Colonelsdarktemper, who is owned by auto racing legend A.J. Foyt, has not started since running fourth in the Grade 3 $400,000 Oklahoma Derby Sept. 24 at Remington Park after emerging from the race with a stress fracture in a front leg, Fires said, necessitating a minor surgical procedure to promote bone growth.

The well-traveled Colonelsdarktemper made 10 starts last year, winning his career debut at Oaklawn Park, an allowance race at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 $750,000 West Virginia Derby Aug. 5 at Mountaineer.

“He’s doing good,” Fires said a day after the Colonel John colt worked a half-mile in :48.40 under regular rider Jon Court, the trainer’s son-in-law. “Hopefully if he runs well, we’ll start looking at some stakes down the road.”

Monday’s work was the second recorded breeze this season for Colonelsdarktemper, who has been based at Oaklawn for approximately two months. Colonelsdarktemper worked 5 furlongs in 1:00 Saturday morning.

Fires said Colonelsdarktemper did not come around as quickly as hoped following the injury, adding the colt also lost training time because of weather.

“I wouldn’t be afraid to try anybody at the end of the meet if he’s OK,” Fires said. “We may wind up in the Oaklawn Handicap. You never know.”

The Grade 2 $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap is part of the April 14 closing-day card.

Fires said he believes Colonelsdarktemper was injured early in the Oklahoma Derby when he was struck by another horse’s back foot on the first turn, leaving a “little nick” in a shin. Colonelsdarktemper was bumped heading into the first turn, according to

onels dark temper was bumped heading into the first turn, according to footnotes from the official race chart.

Colonels dark temp er has a 3-2-2 record from 10 starts and career earnings of $710,035. He also ran fourth in the $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn, second in the Grade 3 $100,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs, second in the Grade 2 $500,000 Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand and third in the Grade 3 $300,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx last year.