Huston and Little left at the post in Goshen
by John Berry
I just heard that two great Hall of Fame Communicators have had their run ended at Goshen Historic Track — yes, that iconic venue just off Main Street at 44 Park Place in Goshen, NY.
I’m still trying to believe it, and can’t do so.
Yup, both Roger Huston and Dave Little have been relieved of their announcing chores at that famed half-mile oval just a “ns” away from our sport’s magnificent Hall of Fame, if one is at the top of the stretch, and a “nk” away if you’re in the winner’s circle.
To pour salt on those wounds, Rod Newhart, the exceptional race secretary at the track, has, reportedly, been asked — make that axed — and exits the scene, as well.
Of course, Huston and Little are two of the most popular and well-known purists in our sport and the way they were told that their services were not needed was anything but storied. No phone call. No thanks for their 20-plus years of service in continuing the tradition enshrined at the oldest track in the United States — 1838.
Huston was told in a text message and he, in turn, had to tell Little, who, by the way, would have showed up on Hall of Fame Day expecting to call the races.
Goshen Historic Track president Steve Jones said, “The decision to make the change this year was, quite frankly, a financial necessity.
“We all know that Roger and Dave are icons in harness racing but, since the track is in financial straits with the show put on by volunteers, we were forced to make the change.
“We are not a part of the Hall of Fame, you know, so we struggle just like many other tracks today.
“We are trying to raise $1 million to modernize our grandstand, which was built in 1911, a daunting task in these trying times.
“I understand that the decision was carried out by text by the board and that was not the proper way to handle it. However, it is difficult to handle certain situations and I can understand their quandary here.
“We, will miss their service to Goshen Historic Track, but there was just no funding available.”
Huston had, of course, been the voice of the Little Brown Jug from 1968 until 2024 and has been on the microphone for more than 185,000 races from 1960 until the present covering over 160 tracks in 17 States and eight Countries — his initial call two-thirds of a century ago.
Not only elected to the Communicators Hall of Fame in 2000, he also has been elected to several other Halls of Fame and received the prestigious Proximity Award in 2011.
He has also been “blessed” to be the master of ceremonies at numerous special events, including for those inducted into harness racing’s Hall of Fame during their Hall of Fame weekend in July, drawing sellout crowds to an otherwise quiet and quaint Central New York locale.
Personally, Huston, who called his first race at Historic Track in 1990, was a key factor in holding the Hall of Fame Trotting event together featuring the sport’s leading drivers. He was frequently on the phone calling Hall of Fame drivers, convincing them to participate in the prestigious event year after year. It’s unclear if anyone other than Huston has ever called the Hall of Fame Trot prior to this year.
Back about 45 years ago, when I was fortunate enough to win the National John Hervey Award for my story “Catching a Bug for the Jug,” the story contained a Huston “race call in writing” and over the years I received many comments about how readers could actually hear Huston’s voice while reading the words.
There is no better compliment than that.
Little has played a huge role in the world of harness racing over the years as a quadruple threat: television host, racing editor/writer, race caller and handicapper.
His rise to the pinnacle honor in our sport — the Communicators Hall of Fame — began at age 16, when he took a part-time position at New Jersey’s Bergen Record, which, eventually, turned into a full-time gig.
In 1986, Little moved to the New York Post and, in short order, established himself as that aforementioned handicapping guru with a nine-race complete-card sweep of winners at the iconic Rosevelt Raceway.
Over the years, he has expanded his expertise as mentioned while working for the New York Daily News as a columnist and covered some of our sport’s most prestigious events.
His announcing experience includes stints at Monticello Raceway, the New York State Fair at The Syracuse Mile, Freehold Raceway, the Orleans County Fair in Barton, VT, and, of course, The Meadowlands, where he spends most of his time on their broadcast set.
In 2002, then general manager Thom Young awarded the annual Grand Circuit announcing position at Goshen Historic Track to Little and he excelled behind the mic with Huston as his backup until he was notified of his release by his Hall of Fame Goshen partner by phone.
Reflecting on his announcing career at Historic Track which started in 1988, Little said, “Calling races at that track meant a lot to me and that’s why it is part of my Hall of Fame sketch.
“Nothing can take away the happy memories I have had there, as well as the countess friendships made, over the years.”
Little was elected to the Communicators Hall of Fame in 2018.
Both Huston and Little had 20+ years of service to Goshen Historic Track helping to keep its stellar reputation over the years and the Hall of Fame Trot a highlight during Hall of Fame weekend.
The way Huston was let go left me in tears, and the fact that Little had to be advised by Huston that his Goshen services were no longer wanted or needed brought even more of them.
As an elder statesman in harness racing, this incident brought back memories to me of the grand musician Cole Porter (1891-1964), the great composer and songwriter, who crafted many of the most iconic musicals in history, among them, Silk Stockings (p, 3, 1:55.2, $694,894 back in 1975), Kiss Me Kate (t, 3, 1:51.3, $283,839 back in 2009), and Can Can (t, 2, 2:08.1, $8,839 in 1977). Remember them?
Like our sport, most of his compositions were hits, and a few not so much.
But one of his greatest compositions was the song A Picture of Me Without You.
It goes something like this:
“I suppose I’d struggle through
But I’d hate to picture myself without you.
Picture Henry Ford without a car,
Picture heaven’s firmament without a star
Picture good cigars without Havana,
Picture (Governor) Huey Long without Louisiana
Mix them all together and what have you got
Just a picture of me without you”
There are many more lyrics to the song picturing Central Park without a sailor and just picture Mister Lord without Mister Taylor and picturing poet Ogden Nash without a rhyme and Mister Bulova without the time.
Anyhow, the rude release of Huston and Little make me think of Porter and just how I would have loved to add to the lyrics of A Picture of Me Without You.
Something like this:
“Picture a woodman’s knife without a whittle
Picture Goshen’s races without Dave Little
Picture Mister Ohtani as not a Dodger
Picture the Hall of Fame Trot without Roger
Mix them all together and what have you got
Just a picture of me without you”
May The Horse Be With You!
