Trot Insider has learned that Lather Up, harness racing's top earning older pacing horse of the season, has been scratched from Saturday's $440,000 Jim Ewart Memorial at Scioto Downs.

Trainer Clyde Francis confirmed the news early Saturday afternoon, stating the four-year-old has been scratched sick.

"We decided to scratch him," said Francis. "Temperature was up too high to risk racing him like that."

Lather Up, who was the 9-5 morning-line favourite in the Ewart Memorial, saw a four-race win streak ended last Saturday by Courtly Choice in the Canadian Pacing Derby. The streak began with a victory in the Graduate Series championship in 1:46 to equal the fastest mile in history and continued with the William R. Haughton Memorial, Sam McKee Memorial, and Dan Patch Stakes.

Lather Up (Im Gorgeous - Pocket Comb) sports a 8-1-1 record in 12 seasonal starts with $815,488 in earnings for trainer Francis and owners Gary & Barbara Iles, George Teague and Taylor Made Stallions.

McWicked, the 2018 Horse of the Year and 2017 Ewart winner, is the 9-2 second choice followed by Courtly Choice at 5-1.

The field of the Jim Ewart Memorial appears below.

(PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Morning Line Odds)
1-Jimmy Freight-Scott Zeron-Andrew Harris-6/1
2-McWicked-Brian Sears-Casie Coleman-9/2
3-Donttellmeagain-Tim Tetrick-Jim King Jr.-15/1
4-Western Fame-Dan Noble-Dan Noble-8/1
5-This Is The Plan-Yannick Gingras-Ron Burke-6/1
6-Filibuster Hanover-Chris Page-Ron Burke-15/1
7-Courtly Choice-James MacDonald-Blake MacIntosh-5/1
8-Lather Up-Montrell Teague-Clyde Francis-SCRATCHED
9-Always A Prince-David Miller-Tyler George-20/1
10-Hitman Hill-Aaron Merriman-Chris Oakes-20/1

Note: Hitman Hill will start from the second tier.