RICK LEE’S selections for today; Friday’s results.

FIRST POST — 1:05 P.M.

1 Purse $20,000, 6 furlongs, 4-yearolds and up, claiming $6,250 ***SERIOUS TALK ships from Remington Park riding a two-race winning streak, and he was claimed by a sharp stable. The front-runner simply loves to win. NOBADEER fired a big race winning his first start at the 2017 Oaklawn meeting, and he held good form throughout the year. He receives a break in the weights with an apprentice rider aboard. COWBOY U KNOW won at a higher claiming price just two races back at Remington, but the concern is his two poor races last season at Oaklawn. 2 Purse $35,000, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up, claiming $20,000

**ROMA ROAD finished first or second in 10 races during his 2017 campaign. The speedy two-turn runner is a threetime winner at Oaklawn and is taking a significant drop in class. VANDERBILT BEACH is the late-running half of a quality two-horse entry for trainer Robertino Diodoro, and the pace figures fast enough to set up his late run. MORE ON TAP hit the wire only a neck behind the top selection in a second-level allowance route at Remington, and he is making only his second start under the care of trainer Steve Asmussen. 3 Purse $29,000, 6 furlongs, 4-yearolds and up that have never won two races, claiming $30,000

**** ROCKIN RUDY has consistently earned the field’s fastest Beyer figures while competing at a higher level in Southern California, and he drew an ideal post for a sprinter with speed. He represents a stable that figures to win plenty of races at the meet. GOTTA CURLIN was bet down to odds-on favoritism and did not disappoint in a maiden allowance win at GPW, and his subsequent breezes at Oaklawn are encouraging. SUTTON IMPACT is cutting back in distance and dropping in class after a pair of useful front-running efforts for winning connections.

4 Purse $24,000, 6 furlongs, 4-yearolds and up, claiming $12,500 *PISTONE STEEL is taking a slight class drop after being given very little chance to win with a curious strategy at Churchill. The beaten favorite switches to an apprentice rider and can make amends with an aggressive break from the gate. CASH BONUS lost a late lead in a strong runner-up finish at Churchill, and he was claimed by a sharp stable and is logical in a contentious field. MUCHO MACHO DAN was a fast-closing second in his last start at the recently concluded Remington meet, and he appears headed toward the good form he showed over the summer at Prairie Meadows. 5 Purse $76,000, 1 mile, 3-yearolds and up, allowance optional claiming

**EZMOSH is the speed drawn on the rail, and he is battle tested in stronger races. His local workouts have been good. BRAVAZO finished second in the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, and he switches to Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens. KINGSVILLE finished third behind two nice colts in the Springboard Mile at Remington, and the one-run closer has competitive Beyer figures and may rally behind a contested early pace. 6 Purse $23,000, 1 1/16 Miles, 4-year-olds and up, starter allowance

**INDY AWESOME finished second behind a heavily favored winner at this level at Remington, and he did win consecutive races last winter at Oaklawn Park. Trainer Federico Villafranco is typically a fast starter here. STORY ONTHE STREET is riding a four-race winning streak. Trainer Andy Gladd either has done a great job with this one-time slow-poke or the gelding is a Remington horse-forcourse. EARLY BID has won two of his past three route races. The Texas-bred is cut out to be a sprinter but has been far better around two turns. 7 Purse $76,000, 1 mile, 3-yearolds, allowance optional claiming **** NEW YORK CENTRAL is an expensive son of Tapit who broke his maiden by 7-widening lengths at Churchill, and subsequent works at Fair Grounds appear strong. He is likely to be the controlling speed stretching out for the first time. HIGHER POWER proved determined running down nine rivals in his two-turn maiden win at Remington. He has a strong route pedigree and figures to improve for a stable that brings horses around slowly. LONE ROCK just missed victory while 13 lengths clear of the third-place finisher at Churchill, and the front-runner figures to beat the rail horse to the first turn and be saving ground. 8 The Pippin. Purse $125,000, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up **FARRELL has won four Grade II races, including the recent Chilukki at Churchill, and she hasn’t lost any training being stabled in New Orleans. TERRA PROMESSA is a multiple graded stake-winner who has won 5 of 7 career races at Oaklawn. Her best race will win, but her last start at Saratoga was poor and she will have to be used early to make the lead in her return from a long break. STREAMLINE is the third best mare in the race, but the pace may prove to be a contentious one, which works in her favor. She did upset the second pick in the 2017 Azeri. 9 Purse $75,000, 6 furlongs, 3-yearolds, maiden special weight ***TRANSGRESS was a clear and troubled second in his career debut last summer at Churchill, and the winner eventually won a Grade I stake. This one figures bigger, stronger and faster as a 3-year-old. FREAKIN JOE broke a step slow and was caught wide through the turn in a deceptively good third-place debut finish at Churchill. His last two local works have been sharp. MITOLE contested a fast pace in an encouraging third-place debut at Fair Grounds, and he has recorded a subsequent bullet 5-furlong breeze for trainer Steve Asmussen.