Scully’s Churchill Downs signature plays for May 28

The second week of the Churchill Downs spring meet begins with Thursday’s 10-race program. Here are a couple of horses of interest, and a possible horse to fade:

Look forward to betting: #4 Clear for Action (5-1 morning line) in 6^TH race. Front-running gelding is eligible to be overlooked after finishing last, beaten 30 lengths, in an off-the-turf allowance on the May 16 opening-day program. I’m throwing the performance out and am encouraged to Clear for Action come right back 11 days later in this 1 1/16-mile turf event. In his last appearance on Churchill’s turf, Clear for Action posted a game front-running win versus better last summer, and he ran well in all three turf starts at Fair Grounds this winter. Brian Hernandez sticks with the wire-to-wire threat.

Live longshot: #6 Locally Owned (8-1) in the 8^TH race. Runner-up in a 1 1/16-mile Churchill maiden in late November, Locally Owned exits a troubled third in a strong two-turn mile allowance at Oaklawn Park. The runner-up, Everfast, came back to finish a half-length second in Saturday’s Blame S., and trainer Al Stall Jr. (17% overall) wins at a 26% clip in the third start off the layoff. We may not get 8-1, but Locally Owned looks set for a good showing from just off the pace.

Favorite I’m against: #12 Second Line David (7-2) in 10^TH race. Claimed for $30,000 two starts back, Second Line David drops back to the proper $30,000 maiden claiming level after losing by nearly 25 lengths against maiden special weight rivals. The class move may entice some, but post 12 is a drawback at the 1 1/16-mile distance and I’m worried about a carryover effect following the clunker.

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