by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — Postponed from its original date on Valentine’s Day, the 11th edition of the Lady Godiva is now slated for Monday (May 13) at Monticello Raceway, just one day after Mother’s Day.

The event is one of the eight legs in the track’s Heritage Drivers Series 2013.

“We had to postpone the Lady Godiva earlier this year due to a lack of entries,” noted Eric Warner, the track’s Director of Racing. “There just weren’t enough ladies who were interested in driving in early February. Hopefully, it was because of the frigid weather.”

Ever since the end of the Mildred Williams Series the Mighty M has found it harder to get enough ladies together for a race.

However, now that the weather is better than it was in February, Warner is confident that he’ll be able to get a full field together. But currently there aren’t too many women drivers competing at Monticello Raceway. Warner will need some out-of-towners to join in.

The Mighty M’s all-time leader Betsy Phillips, with 550 career victories, is still recuperating from an injury and may not be able to go by race time, but Lisa Krom, who not only is the defending champion, but the winning driver in the last two Lady Godivas, is anxious to go at it again.

Other possible participants include former Lady Godiva champions Jody Riedel, Jennifer Lappe, Terry Donnelly and Charlene (Sherry Urquidez) Cushing.

Maybe with a Monday afternoon race date Stacy Chiodo may be able to once again participate. She was a perennial competitor in the Lady Godiva, but now with a hard-hitting stable of her own, hopefully, she won’t be too busy to join in again.

Some of the most famous women drivers who have competed in North America are the long-retired Bea Farber; the forever youthful Jackie Ingrassia; and, of course, the Canadian pioneer Mildred Williams.

Although Farber hasn’t driven competitively since 1995 she still leads the pack with 1,801 winners while Ingrassia is the reigning queen with 1,096 driving victories. And Williams, with more than 500 wins during the 1950s and 1960s, was instrumental in getting the United States Trotting Association and the Canadian Trotting Association to license women to drive in harness races and the Mildred Williams Lady Drivers Series was named in her honor.

Any lady with an “A” or “P” driving license from the USTA or Standardbred Canada interested in competing in the Lady Godiva is urged to contact Warner in the race office at Monticello Raceway by calling 845.794.4100, ex. 557. Or they can call the track’s publicity office at ext. 455.