Sad day for Goshen

First, let me preface this Mane Attraction with Major League baseball and its All Star Game, which is being held on Tuesday night, July 11th at 8:00 p.m.

When the baseball folk made out the schedule for this season, no games were scheduled for Monday, the day before the game—although festivities will be electric at the All Star game site with the Home Run Derby showcasing the greatest power hitters in the game the night before the big game.

Don’t miss it!

Harness racing celebrates its 235 year history—Messenger came over to the U.S.A. in 1788—during the first weekend in July with all eyes on Goshes, New York, home of one of the greatest Halls of Fame in the world, which has honored and continues to honor the living and the immortals of our grand sport—both human and equine.

Walking its hallowed grounds at the Hall of Fame are tributes that will give you chills from the honored walkways with bricks paying homage to many of those that have contributed to its greatness and richness encompassing our entire history, so beautifully detailed on its hallowed walls and floors with exhibits from “Indiana pants” to the mobile starting gate to the single shaft sulky to this very day.

From Yankee and Goldsmith Maid to Maud S and Greyhound…from Lucy and Flora Temple to The Parson’s Colt…from Rysdyk’s Hambletonian to Smuggler…and so many more…

It is, truly, an amazing museum.

And just yards away, one of the most revered racetracks in our history—Historic Track—offers the thunderous hoof beats of our beloved standardbred horses.

The Hall of Fame festivities are memorable experiences that are lifelong.

It’s especially memorable when we remember that we have rubbed shoulders in our lifetime with the true heroes in every aspect of the sport—drivers, trainers, breeders, officials, announcers, men, women…everyone!

For me, those memories will last until my dying breath—that is how grand this museum is to me…and our sport.

So, what about this headline above?

Well, each year, before the  stakes racing season gets under way, the Racing Secretaries all get together to hash out the dates for all of the important races of the season in an attempt to make sure that there are no conflicts on the calendar.

This year, as all of the new inductees will be honored so deservedly, one highlight of the annual Hall of Fame weekend and racing at the famed Goshen half mile track—the annual Hall of Fame Trot—will be missing.

Seems that other stakes events were scheduled at a different location on Hall of Fame weekend as the powers at their meeting obviously thought that other events were more important that those events in Goshen and not worthy enough to be on their important schedule.

I understand that stakes racing is important to owners and breeders…and I understand that drivers have to “protect their turf” in a “dog-eat-dog” profession, so it is an understandable dilemma that has been placed upon them.

So, many of these already honored Hall of Fame drivers were forced to choose between a stakes race elsewhere or keeping the valued tradition of the Hall of Fame Trot alive.

For me, and, I am sure, many other purists in the sport, the days of Haughton and Dancer and Frank Ervin and Curly Smart and Joe O’Brien and Chappie and Baldwin, to name just a few, are long gone.

But as recently as a decade ago, we still had Campbell and Jim Doherty and the Catman and Ron Pierce and Jimmy Takter and Mike Lachance and Herve’ and the “Magic Man” and Palone and Wally Hennessey all on the historic Historic Track competing in the Hall of Fame Trot.

And those days, too, are gone as some have passed on to heavenly pastures or retired from active competition thinking age may have caught up with them.

But many Hall of Fame drivers are still active.

Wally would have been ecstatic to compete…but that’s Wally.

Some of the new Hall of Fame drivers are, as mentioned, forced away by trying to “protect their turf.”

A handful of active catch-drivers competing today have made over $10 million dollars catch-driving during their careers.

The top 25, 20 of whom are active to this day, have made over $5 million.

It’s sad to think that many have been forced or chosen to forego bragging rights in the Hall of Fame Trot for a couple of events where the winning drivers will earn $1,700 or so and the last ones on the cash list will earn around $170.

It’s probably not about the money, though.

Whether it’s by necessity or by choice, Hall of Fame weekend and the Hall of Fame Trot deserved exactly what major league baseball did—schedule no other stakes races during Hall of Fame weekend.

By the way, here’s one sure thing…the crowd at Goshen, N.Y. for the races will be 50 times the crowd-if you can call it that—at a the other stakes venue!

Long live the Hall of Fame…Long live Goshen!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink