harness announcers

[Handy Cap]

who are some of your favorite harness announcers? Some of mine are larry letterman from freehold, of course both announcers at the Meadowlands, and that new guy at Hazel is really good too. Who do you guys like?..in particuler, what do you think about the guy at Northfield?

[cj]

I was always a big fan of Robin Burns when he used to call at FreeState. I heard him do Cal Expo a couple of times on TVG, but I don't think its a full time gig. Pretty sure he works for TVG in the front office. Also loved Jack Lee at Freehold, he had a nickname for every driver. (The Captain, Jackie Mo, The Colonel, etc.) It took me months to figure out his calls because the driver nicknames sounded like horse names, kept having to look at the program!

[Exactaman]

Originally posted by Handy Cap
Who do you guys like?..in particuler, what do you think about the guy at Northfield?

what a loudmouth...... Lederman is ok.... Sam M ok, Ken W a nightmare.... salive in toronto is the best in my book... erlich in chicago second....

[sq764]

Frank Salive is head and shoulders above every other harness announcer..

Lederman is very entertaining.. The guy who does the Hawthorne meet (harness and t-breds) is excellent. He used to do Balmoral before Laurel and Hardy showed up..

[trying2win]

I like the calls of Frank Salive of the Woodbine/Mohawk circuit, and also the announcing of the inimitable Roger Huston of The Meadows.

T2W

[trying2win]

Originally posted by cjmilkowski
I was always a big fan of Robin Burns when he used to call at FreeState.

CJ,

--I've never heard of a harness track named FreeState. Must be an old, defunct track. What state was it located in?

Thanks,

T2W

[Figman]

Merry-Land!

[Zaf]

I liked Jack Lee back in the old Roosevelt Raceway days. The Bullet Bob Meyer in his prime at Yonkers was good too.

ZAFONIC

[Figman]

Bullet Bob Meyer is currently the announcer at Saratoga Slots and Raceway that since January 28th when the slots opened has found a new lease on life.

[Exactaman]

Originally posted by Figman
Bullet Bob Meyer is currently the announcer at Saratoga Slots and Raceway that since January 28th when the slots opened has found a new lease on life.

First started following the trotters hearing his calls at yonkers... always tune in to saratoga on the otb channel when i go back to ny.... that voice just says harness racing to me.

[Zaf]

Originally posted by Exactaman
First started following the trotters hearing his calls at yonkers... always tune in to saratoga on the otb channel when i go back to ny.... that voice just says harness racing to me.

Yeah those were the good old days, great drivers also,

like Carmine Abbatiello, Del Insko, Merrit Dokey, Herve Filion, Lucien Fontaine, John Chapman, Buddy Gilmour, Stormin Norman Dauplaise, Teddy Wing etc.

ZAFONIC

[trying2win]

What two current harness race announcers have driven in either:

1. The Billings Amateur Driving Series.

OR

2. Are still driving now and then in parimutuel events, when not in the announcer's booth?


T2W

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by cjmilkowski
I was always a big fan of Robin Burns when he used to call at FreeState. I heard him do Cal Expo a couple of times on TVG, but I don't think its a full time gig. Pretty sure he works for TVG in the front office. Also loved Jack Lee at Freehold, he had a nickname for every driver. (The Captain, Jackie Mo, The Colonel, etc.) It took me months to figure out his calls because the driver nicknames sounded like horse names, kept having to look at the program!

Robin Burns is my fav harness guy...........

Used to hear him at Scioto Downs when I was younger. He does have a full time gig at TVG........he is the scheduling coordinator and we exchange emails every now and again.......great guy.

[Exactaman]

Originally posted by zafonic
Yeah those were the good old days, great drivers also,

like Carmine Abbatiello, Del Insko, Merrit Dokey, Herve Filion, Lucien Fontaine, John Chapman, Buddy Gilmour, Stormin Norman Dauplaise, Teddy Wing etc.

ZAFONIC

before my time a bit.... for me then it was herve lachance mosher daigneault dancer marsh marohn, a few others i'm sure--these guys not quite up to your group i think :)

[sq764]

1. The Billings Amateur Driving Series.

OR

2. Are still driving now and then in parimutuel events, when not in the announcer's booth?




Is Marty Adler (from Windsor) one of them??

[trying2win]

SQ,

You're right on with your answer of Marty Adler.

I was just checking this past week's results for Hazel Park at the U.S. Trotting Association site. Marty drove in the 5th race on Tues. Apr. 27/04. I don't think he drives very often anymore though.

As for the question...What harness race announcer drove in the Billings Amateur Driving Series?...The answer is Roger Huston, the announcer at The Meadows.

T2W

[sq764]

Roger Huston??

That poor poor horse..

[Exactaman]

Originally posted by Exactaman
before my time a bit.... for me then it was herve lachance mosher daigneault dancer marsh marohn, a few others i'm sure--these guys not quite up to your group i think :)

saw today John Patterson Sr. passed away, made me remember I forgot Sonny Patterson from this group.

[haappyy]

Gil Levine and Tony Salvaro in chicago

[shanta]

Zooming by!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! John Bothe

[sq764]

Man I miss that from Bothe..

Presidential Final - "And here comes Red Bow Tie Zooooooooooooooooooooooming by"

[jfrep714]

Originally posted by sq764
1. The Billings Amateur Driving Series.

OR

2. Are still driving now and then in parimutuel events, when not in the announcer's booth?




Is Marty Adler (from Windsor) one of them??

Steve Cross from Hoosier Park has driven in the Billings series...not sure if he does anymore.

[Milleruszk]

I have been away from the Harness game for awhile........what happened to Bothe? Thanks.

Tom

[Exactaman]

long story short version

he had a gambling problem, meadowlands wanted him to appear making selections on nightly broadcast, he refused saying that would set off his then under-control addiction, m1 then said they would cut his salary if he would not do it, he sued.

as part of his case he had to take a psychological exam. this found its way into the hands of m1 as part of the evidence of the case, i believe m1 without revealing the contents cited it as the reason for firing him. apparently it was objectionable in some way.

[howardjim]

I don't remember the exact years but attending Yonkers from '63 to '69,at some point,Marty Glickman made the call.

I mentioned that to a basketball fan the other day and had my sanity questioned.A "Google" search confirmed the stint but not the years.

[bigjoe]

Jack E. Lee was the best announcer in the history of harness racing. He was at Roosevelt and Freehold Raceways. His problem is twofold. 1-- He did not know how to shut his mouth outside of the announcer's booth and 2-- he is a disgusting human being. But he was the best announcer in harness racing.

[bigjoe]

Glickman was the announcer at Yonkers. He quit when the owners, the Tannenbaum brothers, would not give him more money.

[bigjoe]

Maryland, it was the sister track to Rosecroft.

[michiken]

I like Sam Mckee who does the Meadowlands.

He used to call the t-breds at Detroit Race Course. His delivery style has not changed one bit over the years. One horse owner took me into to the caller's booth and I met him there. Probably why I am bit partial.

Worst announcer is the guy from Lebanon. He is an instant mute speaker.

[bigjoe]

I met Sam Mckee at the Meadowlands last Saturday. Very good announcer and very nice person.

[OTBernie]

I'm 99.9% sure that Bob Meyer is not announcing at Saratoga.

Mike Sardella is currently doing the race calling there.
I believe Bob Meyer may have retired, but I'm not positive.

[TimesTheyRAChangin]

OTB,
Gotta read the dates!
bigjoe resurrected this thread almost 2 years after it had died.

[LemonDropKid]

Greatest caller of all time by far Roy Schudt at the old Brandywine Raceway.

"Here they come" "There they go"

[Figman]

I thought Roy Shudt was pre-George Miller at Saratoga in the 1950's & early 1960s. Then he went to Brandywine a year or two.

[Doc]

I've never seen an announcer have an effect on a crowd like Roger Huston of the Meadows. On more than one occasion, I was playing some simulcasts at Philly Park when a race from the Meadows came on, and people stopped and were drawn like moths to a flame to hear Huston's call.

I find Huston entertaining myself, but in very small doses. He gets old real quick when you listen to more than five or six races in a row.

My personal favorite is Larry Lederman. He's hilarious!

Doc :D