Pick 4 of the Week: Oaklawn Park Saturday, Jan. 3

There is a trio of Pick 4 wagering opportunities at Oaklawn Park on Saturday, and the middle sequence is the one that I will take aim at for the Pick 4 of the Week. 

Pick 4 Wager: Races 4-7

• 50-cent Pick 4: 1,6 with 1,3,6,8,12 with 1,7,10,12 with 5,11 ($40)

Race 4 – Renaissance S. 

Two horses tower over their foes from a Brisnet Speed rating standpoint in the opening leg, and I will use both to commence the play. Peter Miller’s #1 Dirty Rich (1-1) led at every call in his Advent S. score in his local debut on Dec. 12 and drew the rail for the dash. The Thousand Words colt will be tough with anything resembling that performance under Ramon Vazquez. 

Grade 3 winner #6 Obliteration (7-5) moves back to the dirt following a solid try when fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) last time out. Asmussen pupil ran three big races on the main oval earlier in the season and will have a clear run throughout from the outside post under Rosario. 

Race 5 – Maiden Special Weight

A six-furlong heat for sophomores attracted an overflow field of 14. The race lacks a standout in my opinion, and I will include multiple prospects in the tough second leg. #1 Predators' Ball (6-1), #3 Just Jo Jo (10-1), #6 Silver Prince (2-1), #8 Reclamation (5-1), and #12 Violence in Red (10-1) are the ones. 

Race 6 – Starter Allowance

The one-mile tilt for the boys attracted another full field in the third piece of the play. #1 Right On Right On (7-2) has won two straight and will make his first off the claim for Hartman. The American Pharoah colt has a nice closing burst and a fine slot on the fence to save ground to the top of the lane. 

#10 Master Mule (5-1) goes from the synthetic to the dirt, while also going from a sprint to a route, and the son of Army Mule has a lot of appeal to me from off the pace. #12 Global Quote (10-1), another late-running type in the cast, dominated maidens at Churchill Downs most recently and will go first off the claim for Wiggins. Christian Torres will take the reins. #7 Expect the Best (9-2) has improved his Brisnet Speed rating in four straight contests and has the tactical speed to get the jump on the closers turning for home under Saez. 

Race 7 – Optional Claiming

The closing leg of the play is a six-furlong dash for Arkansas-bred runners with a full field set to go postward. #5 Nicholai (9-5) missed by a neck with open foes in a first attempt with blinkers last time and looms large on the class drop. The Thomas Vance charge will be forcing the pace throughout with De La Cruz in the stirrups. 

#11 Rock Solo (5-1) will race as a gelding for the initial time in his first appearance since June. The Moquett trainee is a two-time winner on the oval, and while he might be better going longer, the four-year-old can still beat this group with Saez in the stirrups.