A group of local professionals from all walks of life and
who are all volunteers and responsible for carrying on all business at the
famed double-oval.
For many decades there was pari-mutuel racing at Historic
Track but that came to an end in the late 1970’s when the track was
deeded to a not-for-profit corporation….. Goshen Historic Track, Inc. The
actual date of the filing was January 5th, 1979.
Now as a not-for-profit corporation it is incumbent upon the
members of the Board of Directors to make sure the corporation is
solvent. Of the 19 charter members two-- Graham Skea and John Bach, Sr.-- are
still productive members of the 24-person Board of today.
Good people and hard work over the years has made Historic
Track a year-round facility. It is a year-round training center with a recent
newly refurbished racetrack and the venue offers matinees races in June
and Grand Circuit races during a four or five day period centered
annually around the fourth of July.
In the beginning there was horseracing, mostly under saddle,
on the current site of “Historic Track” even before construction of the formal
race track. The original race course was a one-third of a mile oval and shortly
before the outbreak of the Civil War, Historic was enlarged to a half mile
track and many champions, including Goldsmith Maid competed there.
But the year 1894 marked the most important turning point in
the Track’s history with the appearance on the scene of railroad magnate
Edward H. Harriman, starting a Harriman Family involvement that
would continue to an extent even today.
As part of “then Roaring Grand” countless champions,
including John R Gentry, Joe Patchen, Greyhound, and Titan Hanover, and
to mention all would be like a who’s who in harness racing equine world. And it
should be noted that many champions wore the orange and blue colors
of the Harriman Family .
It was said during June 24th , 1873 that
President Ulysses S. Grant was in Goshen staying at 210 Main Street
and he enjoyed the races from a barn behind the home.
Over the years countless celebrities, including James
Cagney, were frequent guests at Historic Track. And some of America’s finest
Standardbreds raced over the clay racetrack, which when rain was falling
races had to be cancelled.
In recent years top trackmen have worked on the oval
and made it an all weather racetrack which not only curtailed the cancellation
of race cards due to weather conditions but it has allowed Historic Track
to become a very good all-weather training facility.
In recent years new barns have been added and other
refurbished and no one knows better than the Board of Directors on what
it has take to make those additions and changes possible as a not-for-profit
entity.
Fund-raising is a necessity and the myth that Historic Track
and the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame are one is hard to dispel.
Though each have different needs each entity needs funds to
continue to exist.
Actually each stands on its own and both work tirelessly to
raise funds to continue their traditions.
Known forever as the Cradle of the Trotter, Goshen NY one
timed housed two race tracks, Good Time Park -
the three-turn mile oval which housed the famed Hambletonian from 1930 through
1956 - and Historic Track, where it all began and where it still is
today.
