Being the race caller for the Derby is the hardest job! What is their setup?

[Zippy Chippy]

I've always been intrigued by race callers.. Especially in a race with a bunch of horses. How do they know who every horse is so fast? Half the time in the Derby I have no idea where my horse is at the beginning. Great race callers like Durkin hardly ever miss a beat. I always wonder if they have a sheet of paper, or the names are on the monitors, or memorize the horses and their numbers before the race. Has anyone ever seen their setup when calling the race? It doesn't seem as though they look down at a paper or anything to see which number each horse is. I just find it fascinating.

[ghostyapper]

I've seen video in the booth where they have the program on a music stand and watch the race through binoculars.

[jballscalls]

I've always been intrigued by race callers.. Especially in a race with a bunch of horses. How do they know who every horse is so fast? Half the time in the Derby I have no idea where my horse is at the beginning. Great race callers like Durkin hardly ever miss a beat. I always wonder if they have a sheet of paper, or the names are on the monitors, or memorize the horses and their numbers before the race. Has anyone ever seen their setup when calling the race? It doesn't seem as though they look down at a paper or anything to see which number each horse is. I just find it fascinating.

there are a few videos on youtube of people calling races. Here's what i do and what many others do.

We all have a small program that we use, most carry it in their hands while holding the binoculars, some set it on the table where they can still look down to see it. Many announcers (me included) color their programs with pens or markers. they will color in the saddle towels and also the silks. Luke kruytbosch used to use crayola crayons, color the entire name with the silk colors, then scratch it off with a swiss army knife enough to see the name.

You look at the form the night before to research and get familiar with the names, stats, connections etc. then when they come on the track, you memorize like hell. Associating the jockeys silks, caps, blinkers whatever to the name. many guys will repeat the names over and over.....Cigar, Cigar, Cigar, Cigar etc while looking at the horse. i know personally i just start from one horse during the warm up and work my way through as though i'm calling the race there. I know Vic Stauffer and others do this as well.

Some guys use stablizing devices for their binoculars. I use a tripod as i have nervous hands, thus if i just held them it would get too blurry through the binocs. Tom Durkin and Travis Stone use kind of a harness stabalizer, John dooley uses a monopod, basically binoculars on a stick as does Robert Gellar and Wrona, Luke always used a tripod, and then many other guys like VJS, Mike Battaglia, Kurt Becker and countless others just hold them.

During the race, ideally you never want to ever have to look at your program or cheat sheet as i call it. You should know the horses inside and out and it is strictly a last second option to take your eyes off the race to look at the program. Most guys will look through their binoculars all the way until about inside the 1/8th pole where we will just call using the naked eye.

hope that helps :)

[sally]

Thanks jballs!! That has got to be a tough job-- I enjoyed the look inside!

[jimmy m]

Jason hit it right on the nose.That is exactly how i do it.Trevor studies the program and does not colour neither does Ed Burgart. I talked to luke many times about the derby.The day after the draw in the newspaper they put all the horses and there silks he told me he has 2 copies pastes one on his wall in the booth and the other i believe was at home and he looks at at all week long and then he said he had a good 80 minutes between races to look at eveything.I miss Luke it was not the same without him he would of enjoyed yesterday he loved New Mexico and told me he was gonna retire in Ruidoso.I did not to him to well but did work in the racing office at Ruidoso and i can say now i took entries from a Kentucky Derby trainer. Jimmy :)

[boomman]

Jason and Jimmy Mac described it very well, the only thing I would add is many years ago they built me a lazy susan type device in Albuquerque that would move with me as the race was going on and I was able to put my elbows on it and hold the binoculars by hand which kept me from having to use a tripod (something I have always found cumbersome). I got so used to having my elbows "stabalized" that when I went to Yavapai I simply stayed seated and used the desk as the "stabalizer". Years ago when I visited John Dooley in the announcer's booth at Lonestar, he was doing it the same way........Hope that helps your request for insight...........

Boomer