Scully’s Churchill signature plays for May 29

Friday’s nine-race program at Churchill Downs features a couple of intriguing allowance races, as well as a 2-year-old maiden special weight, but I will focus on a trio of claiming events. Here are a couple of horses I will be playing, and one to possibly fade:

Look forward to betting: #1 Sugoi (6-1 morning line) in the 5TH race. By 2014 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner Karakontie, Sugoi should handle the switch to turf, breaking his maiden by a 3 1/2-length margin on a synthetic oval. He showed improved speed from the gate on dirt last time, offering a nice move off the far turn and winning comfortably over a solid field of entry-level allowance foes, and the back-to-back winner appears to be making fine progress for Bill Morey. Sugoi should prominent from the start in this $50,000 conditioned claimer.

Live longshot: #10 Heros Reward (10-1) in the 9TH race. I’m always willing to give horses a pass for losing the first race against winners after a maiden score, and Heros Reward showed good speed before weakening on the stretch out to 1 1/8 miles against a solid field at Oaklawn Park. A sharp front-running winner at 6-furlongs two back, the Wayne Catalano-trained colt cuts back to 7-furlongs and should show speed with Tyler Gaffalione. We may not get 10-1, but I like Heros Reward’s chances on the front end.

Favorite I’m against: #5 Flight Time (3-1) in the 3RD race. A former Group 1 winner in Brazil, Flight Time has raced only twice since being claimed for $7,500 in early November. Six-year-old gelding snapped a losing streak while dropping into a $5,000 conditioned claimer at Sam Houston last time, but he could be hard-pressed to make it two in a row against better competition Friday.

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