by Anne Doolin, for Scioto Downs

Columbus, OH — Scioto Downs’ Jug Preview, the final prep for the Little Brown Jug, has a sustaining payment of $750 that must be postmarked by Thursday, March 15. The 38th edition of the stake for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings is slated for Saturday, Sept. 8.

Further information about the upcoming meet is available online at www.sciotodowns.com, including dates and conditions for late-closers, and lists of Ohio-bred colts and fillies eligible for the Ohio State Fair Stakes, which is now available for viewing (click on condition sheets link).

The Preview has proven to be a popular last stop on the road to Delaware, Ohio, with numerous top sophomores tuning up for the Jug with a stop in Columbus. Ohio-based P-Forty-Seven was the most recent Preview winner to go on to victory in the Little Brown Jug, doing so in 2005.

Nominations for this year’s edition, worth an estimated $225,000, are down substantially from last year, with 63 sophomore colts and geldings eligible at this point.

“We have competition this year from sire stakes in both Pennsylvania and Kentucky,” said Director of Racing Stacy Cahill. “But we will quite likely have two strong divisions, which makes for a much more attractive purse per division than three.”

Scioto opens for its 49th season of racing on May 4, with a new early post time of 6:30 p.m. Racing will be conducted Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights through September 15.