Delaware, Ohio--Only one Ohio-sired horse has ever won the little Brown Jug. In 1988, racing fans from the Buckeye State celebrated the victory by B J Scoot, the first offspring by a stallion standing in Ohio to don the famed gold and brown Little Brown Jug blanket. B J Scoot was by Falcon Almahurst, who stood at Hill Farms in Hilliard, Ohio.

K F Pro Sam, bred and co-owned by Hank Kauffman of Baltimore and Scott Mogen of Ashville, may earn the right to compete in the 55th Little Brown Jug on September 21 at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair.

"Sam stamped himself as a real classy three-year-old here (Scioto Downs) Saturday night. He beat some fine horses in 1:52 and if he continues to move forward and improve like he has in his last two starts he can race with anybody," said Jim Ewart, director of racing at Scioto Downs. Ewart, who has seen the best from Ohio during his long tenure, believes KF Pro Sam "can be a Jug contender if he continues to improve."

Kauffman, who has bred and raced Standardbreds for 25 years, is trying not to get too carried away with Sam's success. "It's a great blessing from the Lord. I've had some good horses but never anything like him. I don't want to brag too much but it's an awesome feeling."

K F Pro Sam is by Ohio's premier pacing sire Nobleland Sam and is the fifth foal of the good race mare Pro Choice p,1:55.4. Pro Choice, who died this year while giving birth to a filly, was by Falcon Almahurst, the sire of B J Scoot. Kauffman purchased the mare after her racing career.

K F Pro Sam swept Ohio's Triple Crown in 1999 and earned $109,091 with five firsts, two seconds and one third in 11 starts. He won his Ohio State Fair division in 1:56.1 at Scioto Downs; took his 1:55.2 record in winning the $100,000 Ohio Sires Championship at Northfield Park; and won the Ohio Breeders Championship in 1:57 on Jug Day afternoon at Delaware, Ohio.

"It was a thrill winning the Triple Crown with him in 1999. He was such a nice colt that we decided to keep him eligible to the Jug," said Mogen, who has operated a public stable since 1983 at Scioto Downs.

The three-year-old gelding was given a long off-season of rest, but K F Pro Sam looked anything but a Jug contender in his first two starts in 2000. He broke stride behind the gate in his first start on May 5 at Lebanon and was fifth 10 days later at Scioto Downs.

"We had a veterinarian examine him and discovered he had bled. So we put him on Lasix and gave him two weeks off. He won in 1:55.1 at Scioto Downs on May 27 and seemed back to his old self," said Mogen.

Sam was brilliant in his most recent outing, a 1:52 victory on June 10 at Scioto Downs. "He was parked out the last three-eighths but dug in and drew away at the finish. After that race I think he has a good chance to beat the top colts."

K F Pro Sam will race Saturday in an Ohio Sires Stakes at Northfield Park and then face some top Grand Circuit colts on June 24 in the Tompkins-Geers at Scioto Downs.

Following Sam's impressive performance this past weekend, Kauffman said to regular driver Chip Noble, "A hell of a drive, Chip"...and Chip responded, "He's a hell of a horse."