by Anne Doolin, for Scioto Downs

Columbus, OH — A number of top Midwestern horses, headed by Ohio-bred standout KF St Patrick, will defend their turf as 11 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings contest the 38th edition of the Jug Preview at Scioto Downs on Saturday, September 8. The Jug Preview, worth $165,000, will go as a single dash as race nine on an 11-race card. Post time is 6:30 p.m.

The last prep before the famous Little Brown Jug, the Preview has long been a popular last stop on the road to Delaware, Ohio. Two years ago, Ohio-owned and trained P-Forty-Seven won his Preview division at Scioto Downs, prior to heading north to capture the Little Brown Jug. He was the fifth horse to use a Jug Preview win as a springboard to victory in the Little Brown Jug.

Kinetic Yankee, a 1:51.2 winner of the Hayes Memorial at Du Quoin last out, who has over $360,000 in career earnings, has been installed the 5-2 morning line favorite. He drew post position seven with Dave Palone named to drive for trainer Erv Miller and owners Brittany Farms, Fred Mansoor, Martha Frank and John Fodera.

An extremely consistent son of Western Ideal, Kinetic Yankee has seven wins and four seconds from 13 starts this season. He took his mark of 1:51 at the Meadowlands.

Trainer Mickey Burke, leading North America by both wins and earnings with 416 and over $6.3 million, respectively, has a pair entered, TJ’s Ideal and Won The West, who is second choice at 7-2 from post 10 in the second tier. Greg Grismore is named to drive.

Won The West, owned by the Strollin Stable, William Robinson and James Koehler — all of Ohio — won his elimination and was second in the Adios Final in early August. Given a freshening, he geared up for the Jug Preview with a 1:53.1 qualifying score (by 28 lengths) at Northfield on August 31. Unraced at 2, the son of Western Hanover is a winner of 12 of 19 starts this year.

KF St Patrick, who landed the last spot — post 11 in the second tier — is third choice with odds of 9-2 on the morning line with regular pilot Russell Swartz to drive.

The son of Nobleland Sam, last year’s 2-year-old champion in Ohio, roared to a seven length victory in 1:51.2 at Northfield last Saturday in winning his $100,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Final — his ninth win in 12 starts this season. Last year, his lone defeat in 10 outings came in his Sires Stakes final at Scioto. He races as a homebred for co-owners Henry Kauffman and trainer Mike Medors.

“I’ve had a horse win all five legs of Sires Stakes and then miss in the final several times,” said Medors. “This is the first time in all these years I’ve been able to win five legs and then the final.

“This horse is feeling pretty good about himself right now,” he said. “He must have been getting a little sick on me in the North America Cup elims when he finished sixth. We had to scratch him out of the consolation. I turned him out a few days after that and he pulled a shoe and messed a foot up a bit. His next race was the Cleveland Classic and he made a break in the first turn, but came back to finish fifth.

“We got his foot fixed up after that, and he’s been very good since,” he said. “He comes a last quarter in :27 and change every time. That’s the sign of a pretty good horse. He acts to me like he’s as competitive as any of them in here. He’s going the same kind of miles.”

Other notables include Takeshigemichi (post one with Dan Dube), with a mark of 1:49.3, and Artist’s View (post two, Dave Palone), who was a $6,000 supplement to the race. Other Ohio horses vying for the Preview trophy are the Mark Evers-trained and Velocity Standardbred-owned entry of Next Adventure and Tufsun Beach; Rockinrollin Now, owned by FTF Inc. of Johnstown, Ohio, and trained by Ron Potter; and Dean Davis’ Gordie Howe, trained and driven by Kurt Sugg.

Fans can register for a drawing for tickets to the Little Brown Jug, including tickets to the VIP Pavilion.

Also on Jug Preview Night, Scioto will host its second Cornhole Tournament on the apron, conducted by the American Cornhole Organization. Play starts at 4:30 p.m., with singles and doubles mini-tourneys forming throughout the evening. Players of all skill levels are welcome, and prizes include cash, betting vouchers, T-shirts and more. There will also be specialty games available, and the Budweiser truck and outdoor grill will be set up near the Cornhole activities.