Leon Bailey on FB:
First, everyone needs to relax.
I was a driver in the County Fair Finals race at Goshen Historic Track on the afternoon of September 6, 2026. During the race, a tractor and water truck were on the racing surface as the field came around the last turn. I was racing from the two hole and was the closest horse to the equipment. The clearance was approximately one foot.
No horse or driver was injured. The water truck cleared the track in time — it was faster and further ahead, with more time to respond. The tractor, slower and further back, could not maneuver as quickly. The field went around it and finished the race. The track split the purse equally among all eight horses. Everyone was compensated, and it was handled as well as it possibly could have been, all things considered. There are no victims here. I want to be clear about what I know and what I don’t. I do not know the cause of the incident, and I am not assigning blame to any individual. What I know is that drivers and trainers routinely navigate around tractors and water trucks during training sessions, and this is a normal part of track operations. The difference in a race is speed and positioning — horses are at full pace and drivers have limited ability to maneuver.
Howard Oil did absolutely nothing wrong. In my opinion, he acted professionally by not saying anything about the tractor and keeping the race call going. He doesn’t deserve any negativity thrown his way.
This was a mistake. Mistakes happen. I don’t want to see anyone villainized over this. The people on the track did a good job of avoiding it, and thankfully there were no accidents.
I believe this incident warrants a review of track protocols — specifically communication between the surface crew and the starter, and procedures to ensure the track is clear before a race begins and remains clear for the duration of the race. That review should be conducted calmly and professionally, based on facts, not speculation.
I am concerned that the public conversation has moved beyond the facts. Some participants are now claiming they would have won the race had the tractor not been there. I was in the two hole — the best position to win — and I did not have enough horse. Several other horses had a legitimate shot. These claims cannot be verified, and they turn a safety conversation into a grievance session.
I ask that everyone involved — drivers, trainers, track management, and the public — focus on preventing a recurrence rather than assigning blame or seeking retribution.
