Arguably the most excited, despite having to come in all the
way from greater Chicago, is Michelle Ruvola, who will be making her Lady
Godiva debut. She not only will handle the favorite in the race in B Major, but
she’ll have the pleasure of starting from the pole position.
“I’ve raced at Monticello in the past in the Billings Series
where most of the drivers were men. Now a race with all women will be different
and I’m looking forward to it, especially when I have rail and the favorite in
the race.” Ruvola said.
“It’s true Ruvola has the favorite but only a lukewarm
favorite,” noted Eric Warner the director of racing.”Actually it appears to be
a very competitive race and everyone has a decent chance at winning. Racing
luck will play a big part on who wins and who loses.”
Last year’s winner, Lisa Krom, will be up behind 3-1 East
Tower who comes into the event off a 2:00 victory in her last start. They’ll
leave from the three-hole.
Betsy Phillips, one of the top female drivers in sport and
Queen of the Mighty M with 550 lifetime victories, will handle 9-2
Velvety Smooth from the two hole and with a good journey she figures to be in
the thick of it.
Perhaps the sleeper in the race is 8-1 Western Dancing who
will get a substantial drop in class when she starts in the Lady Godiva.
Whitney Goodblood, in from Vernon Downs, will do the driving from
post five.
Another first time Lady Godiva starter, Mariyah Mulvey, like
Michelle Ruvola, will be winging in from Chicago. A resident of Henderson
Nev. with aspirations of attending medical school. Mulvey who won her
last race at Balmoral Park, will drive 5-1 True Gritty and leave from
post four.
Warner warns not to dismiss Veronica Merton who’ll be
handling 4-1 Lightning Madison even though they’ll be starting on the far
outside in post position seven. “She(Lightning Madison) was beaten
just a length in 1:57.3 in her last start.” Warner pointed out.
And coming in from northern New Jersey is Rutgers University
professor, Dr. Karyn Malinowski who has worked tirelessly in behalf
of the harness racing industry in the Garden State. An avid fan of the sport
and an amateur driver Dr. Malinowski drew 10-1 shot Trance N and will
have to start from then six-hole.
Unfortunately for Terry Donnelly her horse, Yes We Did
,was an early scratch.
In all seven will line-up behind the mobile starting gate
and when the race becomes official one thing will be for sure…and that is
that a women will be the winner.
The Lady Godiva will be the sixth race on the Mighty M May
14th race card and the winner will earn a berth in the series
finale—the all America Cup—to be raced later this fall.
As in all Heritage Drivers Series events, driving
assignments like post positions, are drawn by lot.
First race post time is 12:50PM with the Lady Godiva going
to the post at approximately 2:25pm
