Grand Circuit harness races in Goshen expected to once again draw a crowd
Horses have been racing in Goshen since after the Revolutionary War and the annual tradition will continue this weekend.
The 112th season of Grand Circuit racing opens at at Goshen Historic Track highlighted by the New York County Fair Stakes and a Billings Series event for amateur drivers on Saturday, the Hall of Fame Trot and New York Excelsior Series action on Sunday and the Landmark Stakes on Monday.
Racing begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The weekend also includes the annual hall of fame induction with driver Yannick Gingras, trainers Ron Burke and George Teague Jr. and trainer-driver Chris Boring being celebrated during a Sunday evening ceremony and dinner at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.
Steve Jones, president of the Goshen Historic Track, added there will be competitors from all over the East Coast on hand to race their trotters and pacers at the event as they do every year.
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On Sunday afternoon, Gingras and Burke will be among the drivers participating in the Mr. & Mrs. Elbridge T. Gerry Sr. Memorial Hall of Fame Trot at Goshen Historic Track, located adjacent to the museum. They are expected to be joined in the race by Hall of Famers Wally Hennessey, David Miller, Dave Palone, Brian Sears, Jimmy Takter, and Tim Tetrick.
The event is a family event, Jones said. Gates at Historic Track open at 11 a.m. Admission is $5 per person, with children ages 12 and under free. Jones added on the backside of the racetrack there will be an area where parents can bring kids to see what goes into getting a horse ready to race.
“I always look forward to the Grand Circuit races which are Monday, the Landmark Stakes, those bring in horses from all over the country to participate in our races,” Jones said. “Also, Sunday, there’s Excelsior Races, races for New York-bred horses, and those races should be very strong, and the Hall of Fame trot on Sunday when you see Hall of Fame drivers that you don’t get to see very often. Those are all great things that are going to happen. I’m looking forward to sort of getting back to normal, where we’ve had limited crowds and limited attendance the last couple of years because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year we anticipate the grandstand will be full. It’s a family event, and I think everyone will have a great time."
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Annual Grand Circuit harness races in Goshen to be held this weekend
