The July issue of Hoof Beats shares the stories of this year’s Harness Racing Hall of Fame inductees, who received the sport’s highest honor on July 5, in Campbell Hall, N.Y.
ver the last several years, conversations surrounding equine welfare and racing safety have increasingly moved from a general discussion to actual measurable expectations. Regulators, industry organizations, racetracks, horsepeople, veterinarians and the public are all asking similar questions: What information is being collected? What trends are being identified? And how is the racing industry using that information to improve the safety and long-term welfare of our horses?
Every year, on the first Sunday of July, harness racing’s greatest human and equine performers are enshrined into the Harness Racing Hall of Fame, in Goshen, N.Y., amid a large celebration on the lawn of the Harness Racing Museum. Every fan of the sport should attend the event at least once to appreciate the celebration and absorb the history that goes along with it.
In the world of harness racing, we are accustomed to a certain level of transparency. When a Standardbred steps onto the track, there is a clear social and economic contract in place. The fans in the stands and on ADW platforms contribute to the lifeblood of our sport through the pari-mutuel pools — a system where we play against one another, and a portion of every dollar wagered returns to the industry to fund purses, health insurance for horsepeople, and the very measures that regulate the integrity of the sport.
Harness racing has long been defined by the figures seen between the sulky shafts, but the sport’s momentum increasingly depends on those working beyond the track. For Ashley Tetrick, that work has become both a responsibility and a calling.
The May 2026 issue of Hoof Beats is the monthly magazine’s annual Top Picks edition, featuring the editorial staff’s projections as to who will emerge as the best 3-year-old pacers and trotters as the season unfolds.
Every so often, something happens outside of harness racing that quietly tells us more about ourselves than it does about the decision itself. It doesn’t come with a press release about the future of horse racing, and it isn’t framed as some referendum in front of the public on racing — but if we’re paying attention, it becomes one of the clearest signals we get.
Hawaii is the last place anyone would expect to find harness racing. However, at one time, under the heated glow of a volcanic sun, the rhythmic thunder of hooves cut through the island’s quiet, with horses chasing glory on a dirt oval not far from Waikiki waves.
