by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — For the first time since she won the 2005 edition of Monticello Raceway’s Lady Godiva Pace, Charlene Cushing is returning to compete in this year’s event on Valentine’s Day.

Monticello photo

Charlene Cushing has drawn the early favorite in the Lady Godiva Pace.

However, when Charlene won the Lady Godiva with Tatler’s Princess in 2005 she drove under her maiden name Sherry Urquidez. Still to this day she prefers Sherry over Charlene and it will be hard not to refer to her as Sherry. And we may not.

Sherry, now Mrs. Mike Cushing, drove here sporadically during the late 1990s and early 2000s but her main duty was as the Mighty M’s marshall and outrider and if she wasn’t the best ever she certainly was right up there.

“There were a few times that Sherry plucked a driverless horse right out of a racing field without any resulting problems and all remained safe because of her abilities as an outrider,” noted Eric Warner, the track’s director of racing.

But after her name change Sherry’s home base became Farmington, Maine, and she became the top female driver in the Pine Tree State, winning awards year after year. And since 2006 she is among the very best lady drivers in North America, winning 192 races since then.

She has drawn the early line favorite, Koles Return, and the coveted pole position in the Valentine’s Day Lady Godiva. The Art Green-trained pacer was a 2:00.3 winner two starts ago.

However, Mrs. Cushing figures to have some tough competition in that event which Warner says is a wide-open affair with nearly any of the eight starters having a good chance to be victorious.

Monticello Raceway’s leading female trainer, Lisa Krom, has drawn the second choice in Allikait Fighter and the two hole to boot. A winner of two of her last three starts, the Sean Campbell-owned mare comes into the contest off a 1:59, wire-to-wire triumph in her last outing.

Then there’s Billing Series driver Terry Donnelly, who will handle the Ken Daniels-owned SF Hazey, who has three wins in six seasonal starts, the fastest a 2:00 effort on Jan. 31.

Last year’s winner and defending champion Jennifer Lappe has drawn a decided longshot in Fox Valley Marissa who’ll leave from the four hole. A non-winner in five seasonal starts, the Sportsmaster mare does own a 1:55.2 mark taken last season at Tioga Downs.

Betsy Phillips, the Mighty M’s all-time winningest lady driver (548 wins), is not to be counted out either. She won the Lady Godiva in 2008 with a 30-1 shot Dryad Hanover. Betsy will handle 4-1 shot Hollywood Encore and start from post five.

And once again the Lady Godiva is graced with the presence of a world champion in Stacy Chiodo. The talented miss owns the world record for the fastest mile ever driven by a female when she guided Mighty Young Joe to a 1:50.3 mark at Harrah’s Chester in 2007. And just recently (on Feb. 5), the talented lady reined Mighty Young Joe to a 1:55 triumph at the Meadowlands. Stacy will drive Jack and Rose Deluca’s Orange Gal, a 2:00.3 winner this season, and start from post six.

Veronica Merton will handle 6-1 shot Haley And Taylor, a 2:01.1 winner this year, who is owned by Brad Clouser. They will leave from the seven hole.

The final starter, Tinalouise Regina’s Blissfull Doll, a 2:02 winner here on Jan. 17, will be handled by Billings Series participant Laura MacNamara. But leaving from the eight hole is certainly no advantage.

The ninth edition of the Lady Godiva will be offered as the seventh race on Monday, Feb. 14. First post for the 13-race card will be at 12:25 p.m.