by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association
Monticello, NY — Being the only female in the race didn’t bother “Michelle The Belle” Ruvola one iota. She’s raced against the boys all her amateur driving career and has had good success.
On Thursday (September 15), Ruvola did what she had done on 32 previous occasions; that was to win the Billings trot that she was driving in at the Wayne County Fair in Wooster, Ohio.
Ruvola guided 6-1 shot Lindy Five Hundred to a 2:06.3 victory over Dave “Linemaster” Ehrenberg to score her third win in nine drives thus far this season. Third place went to LW Janie Flyer who was driven by Bob “Chappy” Chapman. And she felt little remorse when her dad, “Chicago George” Bonomo, finished in the back after making a break with his mount, Rose Run Lebron.
Trailing favored Eye On The Prize and driver Bob “Lumberman” Troyer, Ruvola got a big break when Troyer’s trotter went off-stride nearing the halfway point. Once Eye On The Prize was out of it “Michelle the Belle” had a clear shot at Ehrenberg’s trotter when they reached the final turn and Lindy Five Hundred went on to an easy two length triumph.
The 12 points Ruvola earned with her victory now places her fifth on the Midwest Region leaderboard.
Ruvola will have a chance to add to her regional point totals when she guides Rose Run Lebron in a Billings Trot at Delaware, Ohio, on Sunday (September 18).
Actually 19 other amateur reinsmen will have a chance to move up on the leaderboard on Sunday when two 10-horse trots will go to post as races three and seven over the lightning fast half-mile oval at the home of the Little Brown Jug.