by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association

Columbus, OH — When Mark Harder purchased and imported Royal Cee Cee N in December 2010 he probably wasn’t looking for a stakes star; the daughter of Christian Cullen was about to turn five and thus missed all the rich North American races written for 2- and 3-year-old performers.

World Wide Racing Photos

Royal Cee Cee N rallied to win the Betsy Ross in a time of 1:49.3.

What it turns out is Harder purchased is a pacing mare who likes to win races, especially at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and who with a stunning upset in the recent $100,000 Betsy Ross at that racetrack was named Horse of the Month for May by the U.S. Trotting Association.

Royal Cee Cee N has won 16 of 32 since Harder brought her to America from New Zealand, and her May 27 victory in the Betsy Ross capped her best month in her adopted country. She began May at the recently renamed Harrah’s Philadelphia by winning a Mare’s Open in a sharp 1:50.3 and followed that with a win in an Open Handicap for Mares, this time in 1:51.1.

After a couple of weeks off to be freshened she returned to Harrah’s for the Betsy Ross, but with such good performers as Anndrovette and Put On A Show in the field she was let go by the public at nearly 9-1. The public’s lack of faith looked justified at the half when she was seventh, beaten by eight lengths, but then Royal Cee Cee N put on a drive that stunned them all, coming from last to first to win by a half-length in 1:49.3.

After her Betsy Ross win, Harder sounded less than enthusiastic about the performance: “She’s a good mare,” he deadpanned to a winner’s circle interviewer. He needn’t have said more; the guess is that Harder knows the mare does her own talking — on the racetrack.