Favorite Track Announcer?

[fouroneone]

Who's Your favorite track announcer?

I would have to say that the 3 most unique, and therefore my favorite would have to be

Northfield park
The Meadows
Golden Gate / Bay Meadows

[JimG]

Trevor Denman

[fouroneone]

Originally posted by JimG
Trevor Denman

True,

he is very good

[Figman]

Fred Caposella

[Jeff P]

The thing I respect about Trevor is that he is more than just a great race caller. He knows horses too. I really like his uncanny ability to see a horse's action and start calling a move before it becomes apparent to everybody else.

How often have you heard Trevor say a horse is "out there mooooving like a winner" and then not seen the horse draw off to win? About never.

I've seen and heard other announcers try to immitate this. And, sure enough, sometimes it backfires on them.

[trickey]

Trevor D. is the best......

I think Tom Durkin does a good job in New York.....

[Zaf]

Trevor Denman

ZAFONIC

[Binder]

Keith Jones
Philadelphia Park


Hello !!! when longshots win


Real nice guy who always answers my e'mails
seems like a regular guy who loves going to work at a
real nice place, Philly Park

[Valuist]

Phil Saltzman at Calder. Unfortunately, he's retiring soon. And they're not gonna get him today....or ever again.

[Zaf]

Originally posted by Binder
Keith Jones
Philadelphia Park


Hello !!! when longshots win


Real nice guy who always answers my e'mails
seems like a regular guy who loves going to work at a
real nice place, Philly Park

Keith Jones is great !!! Nice guy , very enthusiastic !!!

ZAFONIC

[kingfin66]

Originally posted by Valuist
Phil Saltzman at Calder. Unfortunately, he's retiring soon. And they're not gonna get him today....or ever again.

I like him too. If you listen really closely you can hear Larry "Bud" Melman.

I also like the guy who calls Churchill Downs. My local caller at Emerald Downs, Robert Geller, is also very good.

If we were talking about the worst, which of course we are not, then I must go with a certain Mike Battaglia. But the thread was about the BEST.

[Pace Cap'n]

When it comes to painting a word portrait of a race, the Churchill guy, Luke K(?), is second only to Trevor Denman, and not by much.

And how about a word for our racingrev in N.Z.?

[sq764]

Originally posted by Pace Cap'n
When it comes to painting a word portrait of a race, the Churchill guy, Luke K)?), is second only to Trevor Denman, and not by mubh.

And how about a word for our racingrev in N.Z.?

I think Michael Chamberlain at Sam Houston is outstanding... Totally underrated.

[timtam]

Jack LaMar the former Philly Park track announcer

I don't even know if he is still alive anymore but I remember going to the old Keystone Park and eating a slice of pizza which came out of some kind of conveyor belt system and then watching the races and listening to Jack Lamar

He bids his field goodbye

[kenwoodallpromos]

Tony Calo has a piece of a horse with Lincoln in the name and you can tell he likes a good race.

[ElKabong]

There is (was) but one great racecaller, my friends....

[Maxspa]

Jack E. Lee is the best! He injects humor in his calls whenever possible!

Maxspa

[melman]

An artist at work is Frank Seville at Woodbine harness. Also if you like some humor in your calls Larry Lederman at Freehold is great. I also like Keith Jones at PHA, a very nice man and good caller.

[toetoe]

elkabong, who is that ... harry caray? no mention so far of michael wrona (can itsallgreektome stay? he's staying like a mother-in-law) or joe alto. i hate everybody, so no explaining why i love joe.

[Milleruszk]

Originally posted by Figman
Fred Caposella

Figman,

Fred Caposella was the first announcer that I heard as a kid growing up. I would listen/watch the races with my father on TV.

I would love to hear tapes of him....only to see if I would still think that he was the greatest.

Tom

[sq764]

Originally posted by melman
An artist at work is Frank Seville at Woodbine harness. Also if you like some humor in your calls Larry Lederman at Freehold is great. I also like Keith Jones at PHA, a very nice man and good caller.

Mel, I think you meant Frank Salive... I like him too, he's very professional and the top harness announcer..

Love Larry Lederman.. Especially when he was at Garden St..

I miss John Bothe when he was at Meadowlands.. I think he's at like Batavia or something like that..

[kitts]

Michael Wrona, absolutely, wherever he may be.

[toetoe]

hi, kitts, you sound in fine fettle. i met you @ cynthia publishing in studio city in 1991. we were bound for s. a. rial(ARG) won the feature. i didn't have him(Argh).

[betchatoo]

I liked Michael Wrona when he was here, but to me Phil Georgeff was the king

[Whitehos]

CLEM MCCARTHY......Remember him?

[fouroneone]

Originally posted by Valuist
Phil Saltzman at Calder. Unfortunately, he's retiring soon. And they're not gonna get him today....or ever again.

He was on thouroughbred central on NYCOTB the other day to annouce his retirement.

He said he would rather go out on top, and he said he knew it was time to go when " It used to take him 4 minutes to memorize a 12 horse field and now it takes 12 minutes to memorize a 4 horse field"

a class act without a doubt, and he will be missed for sure next season.

[headhawg]

Originally posted by betchatoo
I liked Michael Wrona when he was here, but to me Phil Georgeff was the king

"And here they come spinning out of the turn..."

Didn't Georgeff get replaced at one point because the track owner didn't like that line?

[Steve 'StatMan']

Yes, when Madison Square Garden group bought AP in 1982, they fired Georgeoff, who wouldn't tone down his call - they wanted it bland. I heard that a young Mike Imbrial called there (his NY calls now are solid). When they sold about a year or two later to a group led by Mr. D. (Joe Joyce & others) they brought Georgeoff back.

[Steve 'StatMan']

On Harry Carey as a 'Race Caller'

Harry Carey: I can hear it now between races "Hey everybody - Rafael Bejarano spelled backwards is Onarajeb Leafar. And Tom Tomillo spelled backwards is Ollimot Mot."

Steve Stone: "Well Harry, at least one 'Mott' has a string of horses in Chicago"

[Pace Cap'n]

And then there's always Redd Foxx.

[Zman179]

Originally posted by Steve'StatMan'BTW
Yes, when Madison Square Garden group bought AP in 1982, they fired Georgeoff, who wouldn't tone down his call - they wanted it bland. I heard that a young Mike Imbrial called there (his NY calls now are solid). When they sold about a year or two later to a group led by Mr. D. (Joe Joyce & others) they brought Georgeoff back.

Phil Georgeff was brought back thanks to the Chicago racing fans.

The first announcer to replace him was by John Imbriale (the assistant racecaller at NYRA) who was brought in in 1982 when Georgeff was fired. Excerpt from an interview with Imbriale:


"As the third-string announcer, behind Marshall Cassidy and Frank Dwyer, Imbriale didn’t get the opportunity to call races too often, but he impressed people when he did. So much so that Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill., hired him for a six-week stint in the summer of 1982. The only problem with that opportunity, however, was the fact he was replacing an immensely popular Chicago institution, Phil Georgeff.

"The boos started with the first race I called and lasted two full weeks," he says. "I was 26 years old and as nervous as you can be and I messed up the first race. People were bringing signs to the track and the letters I got were brutal. One of them said that Georgeff was Secretariat and I was a $2,000 claimer. I knew there would be some resistance to the change in announcers, but I never fathomed that fans would have that much of a concern about an announcer. It was a little crazy."

Imbriale survived the ordeal, but politely turned down an invitation to stay on in Chicago and returned to NYRA. (Tony Bentley succeeded him in Chicago, but Georgeff returned shortly thereafter.)"


By the way, Tony Bentley got the exact same treatment until Phil Georgeff was finally brought back.

[toetoe]

a co-worker told me the following re. h. caray. in the middle of a ballgame in chicago, harry saw someone famous making her way down to a seat.acc. to source, harry blurted out over air, "hey, there's seka !!

[headhawg]

What about Spike Jones?

"Lettuce is a head, with Bubblegum sticking to the rail. Tomato is catching up with Girdle coming down the stretch. And way in the back it's...Beetle Bomb!

[The Hawk]

Bob Weems, who passed away several years ago, remains my favorite to this day, probably because, like most old-timers, he stopped calling the race at the 1/16th pole and let you watch the race without trying to impress us by calling a photo. No ego in the way of a strong, solid call.

The current Monmouth announcer, Larry Collmus, is extremely accurate and excitable only when necessary, and he has a great voice. Completely underrated.

[toetoe]

thanks, hawk. i COMPLETELY forgot larry collmus. he does impressions, too. once he did impressions during the race, a new one every 1/4 mile. oh yeah, so bad he was good: craig ingram. used to be @ vallejo, ca. every race that had a clear winner, he said, "hakuna matata ... it means no worries." so asinine, how could you get mad? besides, only 2 weeks per year, until they fired him. 1 more collmus: horse named grey poupon leads down the stretch. collmus: can anyone pass the grey poupon?"

[Lasix1]

The two D's---Denman and Durkin---are head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd as many of you have already said. Denman has the keenest eye in the business for horses that are either on the move or backing out of it, and is so easy on the ear that few fans recognize that his famous trademark opening line in big races is actually ungrammatical. "The field for the Pacific Classic set on their way" (Sorry Trev, the field is set on its way), but who cares--he sounds literate even when he isn't!)

On the other hand, Tom Durkin is such a magnificent wordsmith that ironically he may not get as much credit as he deserves because he's done it so well for so long. Consider his stretch call in this year's Kentucky Derby: " "Deadlocked at the 8th poll, Lion Heart is all heart---Smarty Jones is all out!" This is the kind of play with words that poets struggle with at the privacy of their desks, much less behind a microphone with millions watching world wide. I also like the fact that he doesn't over call races. Ordinary wins by favorites in ordinary races are not called the way he calls major races with photo finishes. I like that, because it makes the great races truly special.

I agree also that Luke Kruytbosch at Churchill Downs is a rising star. He has his own style, imitates no one, and calls a race with clarity, style and grace.

I've also noticed that fans tend to fall in love with their home track announcer, and I'm no exception. Terry Wallace, year-in and year-out, does a spectacular job at Oaklawn Park and no one around here can imagine him being replaced by anyone else.
His enthusiasm and work both behind the scenes and behind the microphone, were as unsung as they were central to the Smarty Jones success story this year.

If this thread were about worst announcers, most of us could name a few, but in general, race fans around the country are truly blessed with a host of fine announcers.

[RXB]

Michael Wrona is my favourite. Larry Lederman, Peter Berry, Keith Jones, Larry Collmus, and the guy who does Emerald/Sunland (Robert something-or-another) are also among my favourites.

Durkin is slipping. For example, today in the 5th there was an extremely close finish between the first two finishers, and then he says something like "also a tight photo for third." In fact, the margin between third and fourth was 1 1/4 lengths.

Tony Calo in Northern Cal would be good if he would only cut that extremely annoying, affected growl.

[breakage]

Yes that growl is extremely annoying. I have to turn off the sound when he calls a race it's that annoying. He sounds like a little kid trying to impersonate a grownup that has a deep voice.

[Hosshead]

The thing about Trevor Denman is that he not only tells you WHERE the horses are running in a race,.. but How they're running too. He's so good at memorizing the horses and the color of the silks, that he knows where each horse is, no problem. Because he's so good at knowing Where each horse is, this gives him time to report on How a horse is running.
While most other race callers are struggling just to find out which horse is which, and where they are in relation to the field. (Tom Dirkin) Trevor does his homework. He's got more RAM.
The Triple Crown Races should be called by Denman with Tom Dirkin (or somebody else) doing the interviews.

Harry Henson was great. RIP

[toetoe]

lasix1, i pray you are wrong; otherwise the folks @ canterbury downs are in love with the dreaded unibrow -- paul "frida" allen. YIKES. sequestered, every race? is there a ransom i can pay to un-sequester my pick & maybe cash? he always said, "so-&-so lay 3rd" instead of "lies 3rd." every stakeswinner is a "champ-yun" to p.a. a champ of one race - too weird even for me. i have 100 more, but quickly to calo. killer crossover, these two together as one, &WHO wantsit more? used to say every every race. he's improved, kinda like conan obrien.

[ranchwest]

I know this is counter topic, but someone said something about Battaglia and I just heard him on TVG. Every horse that is gaining ground gets a major call. I can never figure out which is in what position. A horse could be gaining from 11th to 10th and Battaglia makes it sound like the horse is two inches from winning the race. Horrible caller.

[Lasix1]

Well, I did say "most." But when local track announcers are bad (and some are) their relative popularity may suggest an even more radical explanation---maybe who's calling the race doesn't matter at all to the average fan at the track. On the big days of nationally televised races it does matter because the T.V. audience is so large, and many of them may not even be betting. But at the track I'm not so sure that anyone can even hear the local call, much less form an intelligent opinion about how competent it was. To add insult to injury, at my simulcast venue, most of the races have the sound muted and you don't hear anything at all, even the dulcet tones of Trevor. I'm afraid that what Harvey Pack used to call the "veteran, hard-core, step-over-a-guy-having-a-heart-attack-so-you-don't-get shut-out-at-the-window" gambler couldn't care less. He just wants to know whether his tickets are still alive and the monitors can tell him that with or without an announcer.

[fouroneone]

The guy from Northfield always has some funny lines.

Like yesterday in the 6th he said

"Cuteasabutton takes the lead, and thats the horse, not the driver."

[racingrev]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pace Cap'n
When it comes to painting a word portrait of a race, the Churchill guy, Luke K(?), is second only to Trevor Denman, and not by much.

And how about a word for our racingrev in N.Z.? [/QUOTE

Hey Cap...]

Trevor is just about the finest racecaller in the world not just the States.

On my all time great list I rate him @ no 3 behind Australian Bill Collins and the UK's Sir Peter O Sullevan.

Aussie's Bryan Martin and Greg Miles are both at the top of the game and I've been listening to a lot of Vic Stauffer's calls lately. He has a great talent and in years to come will fly to the top.

[fouroneone]

Originally posted by racingrev
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Pace Cap'n
When it comes to painting a word portrait of a race, the Churchill guy, Luke K(?), is second only to Trevor Denman, and not by much.

And how about a word for our racingrev in N.Z.? [/QUOTE

Hey Cap...]

Trevor is just about the finest racecaller in the world not just the States.

On my all time great list I rate him @ no 3 behind Australian Bill Collins and the UK's Sir Peter O Sullevan.

Aussie's Bryan Martin and Greg Miles are both at the top of the game and I've been listening to a lot of Vic Stauffer's calls lately. He has a great talent and in years to come will fly to the top.

Just curious as to what track Bill Collins calls for in Aus?

[racingrev]

Sadly he doesn't anymore.

He retired in 1989 and died from cancer seven years later. Is still greatly missed by all who knew and heard him.

As Tina Turner said, "Simply The Best'".

[toetoe]

rev, i was loving it until ... vic stauffer ???!! jeez! evenin' time @ the stauffer house -- mrs.s.: vic honey, ready for dinner? vic: YYYESSSS! mrs.s.: what,s the status of the boy's homework? vic: little victor ..HAS .. DONE IT!

[Steve 'StatMan']

LOL! Yes. I enjoy Vic Staufer's calls, but sometimes they get to be a bit too much. I don't smoke, but sometimes I feel like I need a cigarette after the race, and turn to the player next to me and ask "Was it good for you too?" Sound like Vic's jizzing all over the annoucer's booth!

"AND HE'S STRONG AND HE'S TRUE AND HE'S GET UP TO WIN!!!!"

:cool: :cool: :eek: :cool: :cool:

[toetoe]

stat man, point well taken. worse is that @ the beginning, vic is relating an unfolding story very didactically, like a kids' news show. remember "in the news," a sat. morn kids' show? vic: & now funny cide goes up from 5th, & by the time they reach the 1/4, he'll have the lead, & by golly, now he has it. and f. c. run ZAWAY!! and f. c. is STRAIGHT & STRONG to the wire. he has DONE IT. YYYESSSS, etc., etc.

[toetoe]

1) the mother-in-law thing 2)fastbreaking horse is "showing good toe." 3) trailing horse "whips them in." 4) @ photo finish: "very tight - oh, i'll stay out of that one, thank you very much." 5) & chad schvaneveldt on so-n-so might consider turning around in the saddle. they're going backward faster than the others are going forward (said in a pithy way, no vicstaufferitis)." 6) "&hoofhearted wins it for trainer quickdraw mcgraw. why, he could train an aussie to hate beer."

[racingrev]

A couple for the for the repertoir Mike..

The favourite's showing more toe than a roman sandle....

He's hanging like a chep suit..

And not to forget the Peter Gilligan special... There going faster than free grog at a warfies's picnic......

[toetoe]

just thought of one for trotters. feel free to steal. he's gapped worse than lauren hutton,s teeth.

[toetoe]

reverend, what's a warfie? maybe a war veteran? or some pol. partisan, as a wobbly?

[Steve 'StatMan']

I thinking his term, spelled in the U.S. would be 'wharfie' and mean people who work/frequent the beach, wharfs, docs, etc.

[Zman179]

I have two choices for most underrated announcer, someone who does a fine job but just doesn't get any kudos.

My first choice is Gary Guy who calls at Flamboro Downs and Grand River Raceway. This guy has the smoothest, velvetiest (new word there) voice in all of racing. Here's a call from Guy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wume1zoI0Gs

A second announcer, and one who does a fine job who isn't even on the racecalling radar is Ghislain Paquet who calls the races at Trois-Rivières and Québec. Most of his calls are in French with a little English thrown in. Even though you might not understand him, you can hear how he makes a race super exciting. I don't know his level of English, but if he can speak it as well as French then he could get a job anywhere in the States. Here's a call (drag the cursor up to 3:30):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl-vz_qOsBI

Who would you consider to be an underrated caller? Is there someone who you have heard who should get some deserved kudos?

[sandpit]

I'll add 2 I haven't seen on the list yet:

Chic Anderson, who called the Derby for many years before Mike Battaglia came on the scene. Chic is one of the reasons I became hooked on the Derby as a little boy growing up in Louisville.

Frank Mirahmadi (sp?) extremely funny and accurate at the same time. Will be calling the No. Cal Fairs again this summer. His imitations of Marv Albert, DW Lukas, Rodney Dangerfield, etc doing race calls is amazing. One time he did a call switching between about 4 different announcer voices ( I remember Luke K and Trevor were 2)...mind boggling to do that and still remember the horses' names.

[MzDucat]

Funniest: Larry Lederman-quick wit and can make the crowd laugh; a rare quality. Most of the players rightly growl and yell, "Quit trying to be funny and call the friggin horses!" Best of the old time harness guys-Bob "Bullet" Meyer. He goes to Vegas now and old pros working the horse rooms recognize his voice and call out to him. Loves the sport and loves the players.

[BUD]

After about 3--4 months of being laid up is when I got into this sport...

So my Favs are the first track announcers I heard....

Tom Durkin....The New York Circuit was the first I actually watched...

Boomer...The first I actually spoke to......

Vic...... The first West coast track I followed was Hollywood Park....

[Nacumi]

We are very lucky here in the MidAtlantic to have several of the best racecallers around: the Larrys (Lederman and Collmus), Keith Jones and the highly underrated Dave Rodman (MD and VA.) I've said it before, but to be able to keep the names straight in those 14 horse turf fields at Colonial is a feat, and Dave's just aces. :jump:

[larman]

Foe me even though I live in new york, Vic Staufer is great. His enthusiam
shows even in the lowest claimers.
How Mike Battaglia keeps his job is beyond me.

By the way why did gulfstream replace Vic.Was it Money????????

[TrackManSam]

Being I like playing obscure tracks, I get to listen to several different announcers. There are a few I think do a good job but don't get the credit they deserve one is Mike Bozich from Hazel Park. He replaced Jack Riggs who was there for 50 years and has brought a lot of excitement back to a track that was dull for quite some time. The first clip I found was Mike and the second was Jack Riggs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrOj-sf5hpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-29XqmiSgJw&feature=related

Another announcer that dont get the credit is Scott Erlich from Caifornia I believe he is now. gives a lot of technical information during a race which is helpful to handicappers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD4HhG6zdlw

[njcurveball]

Peter Berry at Mountaineer does a great job! :ThmbUp:

[ManeMediaMogul]

My favorite ever: Joe Hernandez..."There they go..."

My current favorite: Dan Loiselle at Woodbine...a magnificent voice

Most accurate: Kurt Becker at Keeneland...he was great in New York too.

One of the best from the past who never gets a mention: Alan Buchdahl

[A. Pineda]

My favorite voice: Joe Hernandez. We would smile when, towards the end of his career, Joe would sometimes call the runner's sire in error.

My favorite announcer: Trevor Denman.

[ldiatone]

We are very lucky here in the MidAtlantic to have several of the best racecallers around: the Larrys (Lederman and Collmus), Keith Jones and the highly underrated Dave Rodman (MD and VA.) I've said it before, but to be able to keep the names straight in those 14 horse turf fields at Colonial is a feat, and Dave's just aces. :jump:

YES dave rodman has those special 'ad libs' to the races as i remember him 'calling' "oh please Mr. Wire please come" i like this guy!
ok i'm also partial to the guys from penn national.

[ElegantHorse]

Count me in as a fan of Dave Rodman.

One of my favorite ad libs was when a filly called Weather Vane was ahead and nearing the finish and he said:

"Coming to the wire it's Weather Vane! North, South, East, West...She's best!"

[whyhorseofcourse]

No love for Robber Galler? God I love his race calls.
What about Fraiser???? :D

[gemcity39]

Vic Stauffer and Kurt Becker. Vic for his obvious love of the sport and "fired up attitude". Becker is smooth, accurate, and was super when filling in for NYRA.

On an earlier note someone mentioned Kevin Goemmer, who has passed away years ago, but when he was at River Downs and it was your horse in front winning and he used the" It's (name of winner) all alone"........... it was cool!!!
I still have a tape of a horse my Dad and I owned with that "all alone" call, seemed great at the time.

[BlueShoe]

Mentioned this before,but because of SoCal's limited simulcast menu and limited exposure to other tracks on trips to Nevada,there are surely several fine callers that this player has never or seldom heard.As for callers of bygone eras,both Joe Hernandez and Harry Henson stand out.For sheer voice quality however,must mention a now departed harness race caller,Roy Shudt.He called the races in SoCal in the 50's and 60's and at a few Eastern tracks.His voice could only be described as melodious,and his calls were first rate.

[price]

Current Dogs....Skip Feiner Hollywood
Old Dogs..........Gordon the Voice Wood at Gulf.

Current Harness....Larry Lederman
Old Harness.........Joe Alto

Current T'bred....John Dooley
Old T'bred..........Phil Georgeff

Very few I dont like to be honest.

[whyhorseofcourse]

No love for Robert Galler? God I love his race calls.
What about Fraiser???? :D

No clue how I mispelled his name.
But no love for this guy???

[1GCFAN]

Frank Mirahmadi (sp?) extremely funny and accurate at the same time. Will be calling the No. Cal Fairs again this summer. His imitations of Marv Albert, DW Lukas, Rodney Dangerfield, etc doing race calls is amazing. One time he did a call switching between about 4 different announcer voices

I love those conversations he carries on between Marv and Dwayne while the race is taking place.

I like the guy at Fraser as he spices up even an ordinary race.

My favs are the Churchill and Haythorn:lol: announcers.

I don't know many tracks think an only an Englishman can call a race! Although Trevor is the most accurate of all race callers.

Remember the sing-song voice of the Northfield announcer about 10 years ago. What happened to him.

[KMS]

I watched a race from Northlands Park last night, and the announcer sounded like he was on Prozac.

[PaceAdvantage]

I watched a race from Northlands Park last night, and the announcer sounded like he was on Prozac.So then, in a thread about favorite announcers, can we assume this Northlands guy is NOT your favorite? :bang:

[BlueShoe]

This is off topic a bit,but when watching Evangeline Downs on TVG,which I do not play,am puzzled as to what track announcer John McGary says at the start of every race.Am assuming that he is saying something like,'there they go",or "off and running" in what sounds like French.Is EvD in Cajon country,so that a bit of French is an added touch?

[coastkid]

Tony Bentley

[Pace Cap'n]

This is off topic a bit,but when watching Evangeline Downs on TVG,which I do not play,am puzzled as to what track announcer John McGary says at the start of every race.Am assuming that he is saying something like,'there they go",or "off and running" in what sounds like French.Is EvD in Cajon country,so that a bit of French is an added touch?

Il Sont Partis! (And they're off)

[maxwell]

I have to give the nod to Trevor Denman. His style suits SoCal racing to a capitol T. I think Tom Durkin was better back in the early days of the BC when he was trying hard to prove himself.

Thanks to melman and sq764 for tuning into Frank Salive's harness calls @ WO. That guy is very good!

My 'blast from the past' would have to be Daryl Wells. One of the best ever. :)

[SmartyMarty]

Marty Glickman, deceased harness guy..

the rising star, Travis Stone, flats..

[Marlin]

Il Sont Partis! (And they're off)They have left!:)

[Pace Cap'n]

They have left!:)

Indeed! Thanks.

[Skanoochies]

JACK SHORT, he was a great a announcer at the old Ex. Park in Van. B.C, All you could listen to on the radio back in the fifties and sixties, was his exciting recount of a race. He`d start out with "And there they go!" and finish the day off with "Adios Amigos." :ThmbUp:

[Yorker]

Marty Glickman, deceased harness guy..

the rising star, Travis Stone, flats.. :liar: :liar:


He's an over-hyped newbie that's only been calling for 2 years. I'm tired of reading the stories about him being the next Tom Durkin. Durkin isn't all that much any way, and this kid is probably more likely calling races at Assiniboia Downs than any of the NYRA tracks, provided they're still running in a few years.

[Peter Berry]

:liar: :liar:


He's an over-hyped newbie that's only been calling for 2 years. I'm tired of reading the stories about him being the next Tom Durkin. Durkin isn't all that much any way, and this kid is probably more likely calling races at Assiniboia Downs than any of the NYRA tracks, provided they're still running in a few years.

'Rising star' is a fair comment re Travis. Once he shakes the 'Dave Durkin' nickname and finds his own voice he will quickly ascend to the upper echelon. He has ALL the tools.

[ezrabrooks]

Travis Stone is a fine young caller...and will only get better with experience. He seems interested in promoting the sport, and is very accessible. I think he is a big plus for LAD.

[levinmpa]

I grew up in No. California and spent many a day at Bay Meadows and Golden Gate Fields. In the early 80's the track announcer for both tracks was a fellow named John Gibson. He was a Henry Henson sound alike. He got himself into some trouble in the late 80s and is now in prison, but he was a very good race caller, and one of my all time favorites.

Every race day at noon, they would play the National Anthem followed by "Good afternoon. This is your track announcer John Gibson. On behalf of the Tanforan Racing Association I would like to welcome you to Golden Gate Fields. If you kindly turn to your programs, I will give you the changes we have thus far."

Here is the call of the 1984 Golden Gate Handicap featuring John Henry and local horse Silveyville, called by track announcer John Gibson. Note the Henry Hensonish start "They're they go". I was fortunate to be there that day and will never forget it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVoXzOxKpBw

[TravisVOX]

:liar: :liar:


He's an over-hyped newbie that's only been calling for 2 years. I'm tired of reading the stories about him being the next Tom Durkin. Durkin isn't all that much any way, and this kid is probably more likely calling races at Assiniboia Downs than any of the NYRA tracks, provided they're still running in a few years.

What's the weather like there?

Please don't take your frustrations out on me...

[TravisVOX]

'Rising star' is a fair comment re Travis. Once he shakes the 'Dave Durkin' nickname and finds his own voice he will quickly ascend to the upper echelon. He has ALL the tools.

Dave Durkin?

I've actually worked awful hard at expanding the tone and vocabularly, and have been fortunate to have situations to use them. I sounded a lot like Durkin when I started, but that's like golfing like Tiger Woods when you first pick up a club.

[TravisVOX]

the rising star, Travis Stone, flats..

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words.

[TravisVOX]

Travis Stone is a fine young caller...and will only get better with experience. He seems interested in promoting the sport, and is very accessible. I think he is a big plus for LAD.

It's so hot here though! Seriously, I appreciate it. My whole involvement with the game, on whatever level, all comes from my passion for the sport. I knew I was going to be doing something in racing from my first visit to the track.

If you're ever in the LAD, drop me an email.

[RichieP]

My favorite is the announcer at Woodbine. Something about his whole style that fits with me.

The one guy that really caught my attention was this unknown guy Vic S let call a last race maybe a year ago. Southern drawl with a totally unique sound and flow. LOVED it.

Guy at Arlington is very good. Ditto for the Keeneland caller.

[Suffolk OTB]

Travis Stone is a rising star....he has a huge future ahead of him. Anyone that doesn't see that is smoking and dealing crack from an Arkansas trailer.

[dylbert]

I second motion that Travis Stone is rising star. Yes, he does recognize Durkin as an influence. He has lost his "bug" and continues to develop his own distinct race calling style.

LaD has had two outstanding race callers in Dave Rodman and Travis Stone. Also, it has had two of my least favorite announcers, Terry Wallace and Tony Bentley. I hope LaD management has foresight to sign Travis to long-term agreement.

Keep up the excellent work, Travis!

[v j stauffer]

I second motion that Travis Stone is rising star. Yes, he does recognize Durkin as an influence. He has lost his "bug" and continues to develop his own distinct race calling style.

LaD has had two outstanding race callers in Dave Rodman and Travis Stone. Also, it has had two of my least favorite announcers, Terry Wallace and Tony Bentley. I hope LaD management has foresight to sign Travis to long-term agreement.

Keep up the excellent work, Travis!

I'm all for that. It'll keep him away from any of my tracks.

Travis is terrific.

I'm a big fan.

[BeatTheChalk]

Please do NOT get me started :mad: :( :eek: :lol:

[BeatTheChalk]

Marty Glickman, deceased harness guy..

the rising star, Travis Stone, flats..

Would that be theee same Mahhhhhrty Glickman .. who did the early games
for the National Basketball Association. He also was a member of the
Olympic Team .. can't recall the year.

[TravisVOX]

Travis is terrific.

I'm a big fan.

Thank you, sir!

[46zilzal]

In the old days of Northern California racing there were the dulcet tones of an original: Todd Creed. Often, after the card was over, he would sing over the PA (one wondered how many drinks he had imbibed to that point), much to the chagrin of the management.

Two of the most remembered calls/phrases; 1) He would "hang onto" the rider's name Raooooooooooool Caberllo when announcing his winning ride and 2) Every time he would call the old claimer Mynameisue he would always add How do you do!

One in a class by himself.

[Peter Berry]

Dave Durkin?

I've actually worked awful hard at expanding the tone and vocabularly, and have been fortunate to have situations to use them. I sounded a lot like Durkin when I started, but that's like golfing like Tiger Woods when you first pick up a club.

Dave Johnson/Tom Durkin.

I understood it to be a form of flattery.

[ezrabrooks]

I second motion that Travis Stone is rising star. Yes, he does recognize Durkin as an influence. He has lost his "bug" and continues to develop his own distinct race calling style.

LaD has had two outstanding race callers in Dave Rodman and Travis Stone. Also, it has had two of my least favorite announcers, Terry Wallace and Tony Bentley. I hope LaD management has foresight to sign Travis to long-term agreement.

Keep up the excellent work, Travis!

Dylbert...you're gonna miss Terry Wallace when he is gone. I guess he has just become OP to me, and have come to respect him as both a caller and an Ambassador of Hot Springs.

I enjoy many callers...but, when I walk in to my local Simo facility...I always know who is running, just by hearing a familiar voice on the race feed.

Vic, Travis...I feel like we have been buds for a long time....keep up the great work.

Ez

[Yorker]

Travis Stone is a rising star....he has a huge future ahead of him. Anyone that doesn't see that is smoking and dealing crack from an Arkansas trailer.:ThmbDown: :mad:

Did you really need to bring in my families personal issues into this thread?

:bang: :bang: :bang:

[dylbert]

Dylbert...you're gonna miss Terry Wallace when he is gone. I guess he has just become OP to me, and have come to respect him as both a caller and an Ambassador of Hot Springs.

EzSorry, I will not miss Terry Wallace. Is he retiring soon?

Wallace didn't impress me at LaD and has never impressed me at Oaklawn Park. His first year, 1975, was my first time attending Arkansas Derby. Longevity should never be confused with excellence. Basically, I find him as entertaining as watching paint dry.

Happy Independence Day!

[toetoe]

... and HERE-THEY-COME-INTO-THE-SHORT-STRETCH ! :rolleyes:

[thespaah]

Funniest: Larry Lederman-quick wit and can make the crowd laugh; a rare quality. Most of the players rightly growl and yell, "Quit trying to be funny and call the friggin horses!" Best of the old time harness guys-Bob "Bullet" Meyer. He goes to Vegas now and old pros working the horse rooms recognize his voice and call out to him. Loves the sport and loves the players.Always wondered the whereabouts of the "Bullet" Bob Myer.. After they closed Yonkers for the rebuild he was up at Saratoga Harness. From there I had no idea.
An I just wacthed the 4th at Belmont..some has to put that call on youtuibe..Classic Durkin......
Winning horses name..Doremifasolatido......You can only imagine...BTW Horse won by six.....If I could get it from my DVR to my computer,I'd do it myself..No clue....

[thespaah]

Dave Durkin?

I've actually worked awful hard at expanding the tone and vocabularly, and have been fortunate to have situations to use them. I sounded a lot like Durkin when I started, but that's like golfing like Tiger Woods when you first pick up a club.Where do you work?

[TravisVOX]

Durkin shows his musical side the last 16th of a mile... great stuff!

[TravisVOX]

Where do you work?

Louisiana Downs...

[Spendabuck85]

Durkin's call of the Belmont 4th today was great. I was hoping for the horse to win to hear him call it.

From Steve Crist's blog at DRF:
With Tom Durkin's fullthroated singing of the musical scale threatening to shatter my eardrums like a cheap wineglass, Doremifasollatido cruised to a lengthy victory in the opener at 8-5.

http://cristblog.drf.com/crist/

[thespaah]

Durkin shows his musical side the last 16th of a mile... great stuff!
That was classic stuff!!!!!
I'll look for the start of the LaD meet to catch your calls...Good luck!!

[TravisVOX]

That was classic stuff!!!!!
I'll look for the start of the LaD meet to catch your calls...Good luck!!

It was classic!

We've been racing now for a bit... we started on Preakness Day and go Thursday thru Sunday.

The biggest days of the meet are coming up and of course The Super Derby in September. If you're ever in the area, let me know!

[thespaah]

It was classic!

We've been racing now for a bit... we started on Preakness Day and go Thursday thru Sunday.

The biggest days of the meet are coming up and of course The Super Derby in September. If you're ever in the area, let me know!Good,....I'll have to see if your track is an HRTV partner. I have Dish Network .So I get both TVG and HRTV...