by Anne Doolin, for Scioto Downs

Columbus, OH — There are three driver changes for Saturday’s (September 8) $165,000 Jug Preview at Scioto Downs. The 38th edition of the Preview will go as race nine on the 11-race card, with a first race post time of 6:30 p.m.

Terry Cullipher will drive Tufsun Beach from post eight. The son of Jenna’s Beach Boy is part of an entry with Next Adventure, whom trainer Mark Evers will drive. The colts are owned by Velocity Standardbreds of Lebanon, Ohio.

This year’s hottest driver, Tim Tetrick, will hop a plane from Pocono Downs to Scioto to drive Artist’s View from post two. The son of Artsplace, trained by Buzzy Sholty for DM Stables LLC of Naples, Florida and William Rufenacht of Archbold, Ohio, was a $6,000 supplement to the race.

Sam “Chip” Noble picks the drive on Pardon You from post four for Meadows-area owners Tom Mucci, David Kowcheck, Hopkins Blue Jay Stable (Hal Altman and John Lewis), and George Alexas. Brad Buxton, son of legendary horseman Dick Buxton, trains.

The field for Saturday’s Jug Preview:

Head-Post-Horse-Driver-Odds
1-5-Next Adventure-Mark Evers-12-1
1A-8-Tufsun Beach-Terry Cullipher-12-1
2-1-Takeshigemichi-Dan Dube-6-1
3-2-Artist’s View-Tim Tetrick-5-1
4-3-Rockinrollin Now-Bob Harper-12-1
5-4-Pardon You-Sam Noble III-8-1
6-6-Gordie How-Kurt Sugg-15-1
7-7-Kinetic Yankee-Dave Palone-5-2
8-9-TJ’s Ideal-Tony Hall-10-1
9-10-Won The West-Greg Grismore-7-2
10-11-KF St Patrick-Russell Swartz-9-2

Sholty happy to get Tetrick

Trainer George “Buzzy” Sholty said he didn’t even bother trying to approach Tim Tetrick about driving Artist’s View in the Jug Preview. Sholty said he knew Tetrick would have engagements somewhere.

Tetrick, hotter than this summer’s record temperatures, has been driving day and night, and as of Tuesday, was some 50 wins ahead of Walter Case’s tally at this point during 1998 when he set the all-time record by winning 1,076 races for the year.

“I figured he’d be in Chicago, Canada, somewhere,” said Sholty. “I was looking for a driver (he named Dave Palone, who opted for favorite Kinetic Yankee). I started looking at entries all over the place for Saturday night, and I didn’t see Tim named. I called him and he said he had nothing to do after he got done at Pocono Downs. What are the odds of that! (Owner) Dean Miller has access to a private plane, so we’re bringing him out.”

Dean Miller (DM Stables) and William Rufenacht ponied up $6,000 to supplement Artist’s View to the Preview.

“He had a mid-summer break because of sickness,” said Sholty. “And we didn’t have a race in this timeframe. He’s had several wins in a row, including qualifiers, and I took him to Freehold to experience a half, looking toward the Jug.

“I was looking at race options for him, and paying a supplement that’s less than 10 percent of the purse is viable,” he said.

Sholty said his late father, Hall-of-Famer George Sholty, trained for Dean Miller’s father.

“The first yearling my dad ever bought at public auction was for the Miller brothers, Del and Floyd,” he said. “That was Coffee Break, who went on to be Two-Year-Old Pacer of the Year.

“This colt, Artist’s View and Artatheart are the first horses I’ve had for Dean,” he said.