Obliteration will move back to dirt on Saturday when he makes his first start since the Breeders’ Cup in the $150,000 Renaissance at Oaklawn Park. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds shares a card with the $250,000 Smarty Jones, which is a points race for the Kentucky Derby, and the $135,000 Commodore, an overnight stakes for the sprint set. First post for the 11-race card, which drew 134 entries, is noon Central. The Renaissance goes with six, and the group includes Dirty Rich, who won the $150,000 Advent on opening day at Oaklawn, and How Bout That Curt, winner of the Northern Lights Futurity at Canterbury Park. But the horse with the biggest résumé is Obliteration, who won the Grade 3 Sanford last July at Saratoga and went on to run second in a pair of turf stakes before finishing a good fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in his most recent out Oct. 31 at Del Mar. “He ran solid,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “Most likely if there was a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Dirt Sprint, he would have never went to the Turf. I thought he ran well on the turf, but it was because of financial opportunity. He’s probably better on the dirt.” :: Live racing action at Oaklawn Park! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Obliteration is 2 for 3 on dirt. He won his maiden last June going 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs, then came back and romped by 10 1/2 lengths in the Sanford. From there, Obliteration was second as the favorite in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special. Joel Rosario has the mount from post 6. The outside draw might give the rider options with Obliteration, who has natural speed and who is drawn outside of front-runners Dirty Rich, How Bout That Curt, and Canned Heat. Dirty Rich, the even-money morning-line favorite, broke on top in the Advent and made every pole a winning one for a 1 3/4-length victory over Boca Beach Club. Dirty Rich will bring the best last-race Beyer Speed Figure – an 89 – into the Smarty Jones. Ramon Vazquez has the mount from the rail for trainer Peter Miller. Commodore Stakes The Commodore is for 4-year-olds and up who have never won a stakes other than statebred. It will be run over six furlongs, and Concrete Glory, who tends to break on top, might prove the one to catch. He draws well, too, to the outside of perhaps his primary pace rivals in Second I D and Rexford. A pace war could set the table for horses like Echo Again, Thoughtthatcounts, Bourbon Bash, and Navy Seal. Concrete Glory was second in the Gulfstream Park Sprint in February. In more recent times, he won a Churchill Downs starter allowance Nov. 15 that has since produced three next-out starter winners as well as the third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream. Luis Saez has the mount on Concrete Glory for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Bourbon Bash, who has placed in three stakes, makes his first start for Asmussen after being trained by the late D. Wayne Lukas. He’s working sharply, among his moves, a five-furlong work from the gate in 58.80 seconds Dec. 11. “He loves Oaklawn,” Asmussen said. Rosario has the mount from post 6. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.