Pick 4 of the Week: Oaklawn Park on Saturday

A fun final quartet of races on the Oaklawn Park card on Saturday, led by the Bayakoa S. (G3), comprises the late Pick 4 at the Hot Springs, Arkansas venue. 

Race 7 Wager:

• 50-cent Pick 4: 5,10 with 3,7,8,9,10 with 1,3,6 with 3,5,8 ($45)

Race 7 – Optional Claiming

The boys will dash six furlongs in the opening leg, with a sizable and well-matched cast of 11 signed on. I will focus on just two of the contenders to get the play under way in the opener. #5 Lightning Struck (6-1) has run a pair of good ones at the meet and is one of the duo on my ticket. Martin Chuan will guide the Ike Green pupil. 

#10 Payne (5-2) defeated better on the oval in his latest venture and looks like the one to beat for trainer Eric Foster. The 10-year-old dons a smart 12-4-4-2 mark on the strip and would not be a surprise with Christian Torres in the silks. 

Race 8 – Maiden Special Weight

A total of 11 will jaunt six panels in the second leg of the sequence. I am not all that interested in any of the horses that have experience, so I’ll use each of the five first-time starters: #3 Stomp (7-2), #7 Iron Dome (10-1), #8 Hymn (4-1), #9 Dawn at Normandy (12-1), and #10 Rango (15-1). 

Race 9 – Bayakoa S. (G3)

The feature on the card attracted a compact field of six for the 1 1/16-mile affair. I’ll use half of the group including #1 Corningstone (2-1), who has bagged a pair of black-type races in succession on the course this campaign. This Kenny McPeek pupil has a versatile running style and could improve while making her third run off the shelf. Julien Leparoux will be in the stirrups. 

#3 Little Jamie (4-1) was impressive in her Wayward Lass S. score at Tampa in her 2025 debut and makes a lot of sense to me for Robert Medina. The Collected four-year-old will stalk the action early with Ramon Vazquez inheriting the ride. #6 Loved (9-5) rolled home a fine winner of the Falls City S. (G2) at Churchill Downs in her latest performance and will be difficult to defeat with anything resembling that showing. Regular rider Tyler Gaffalione retains the mount. 

Race 10 – Maiden Special Weight

Sophomore fillies will go one mile in the finale. #3 La Fantastica (5-2) was a clear second to subsequent graded heroine Take Charge Milady on the oval last time and is a must-use for Steve Asmussen. 

#5 Good Game (6-1) didn’t thrive over the sloppy, sealed course in her route debut but deserves another chance for Rodolphe Brisset. The $300,000 daughter of Game Winner has some appeal at a fair price. Second timer #8 Yes Ma’Am (9-2) is also logical while making her route bow for conditioner John Ortiz.