by Chris Tully, for Goshen Historic Track

Goshen, NY — Historic Track opened their doors to neighborhood children for the first time since Hall of Famer Walter Cox welcomed the Trick-or-Treaters over 80 years ago.

Well over 300 costumed children and their parents visited the world’s oldest harness track Saturday (Oct. 30) to recreate a tradition that began during the Great Depression courtesy of the late Hall of Famer and Goshen resident.

Chris Tully photo

Youngsters enjoy petting Calypso Beat, a retired Standardbred racehorse, at Goshen Historic Track.

Track staff and local trainers teamed up with the Ray Schnittker stable to host the free event, which turned out larger than anyone had anticipated.

“We started at 11 a.m., and by 1 p.m. we had served 200 hot dogs, nearly 40 pounds of candy, five gallons of hot mulled apple cider, 100 bags of chips, and 20 pounds of cookies,” remarked local trainer Joe Peruso. “And they kept coming in the gate until 3 p.m.”

One of the crowd pleasers of the day was a retired racehorse named Calypso Beat. A regular at the Meadowlands, he raced for the event sponsor, Ray Schnittker, in more than 350 starts over three Presidencies: Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II. The horse was a perfect gentleman at 21 years old and stood calmly while swarms of children finger painted his coat in a rainbow of colors. Held most of the day by Schnittker stable assistant trainers Jessica and Gareth Dowse, the equine ambassador drew big crowds throughout the day.

The Harness Racing Museum and the track’s blacksmith, Gary Smith, entertained throngs of young people during and after the event.

Of course, grown-ups also got a treat! Although most parents were content to let their children enjoy all the candy, each adult received a 2-for-1 admission coupon to come back to the races at the National Historic Landmark in 2011.