IF you could spend a day watching a race caller, who would it be?

[Zippy Chippy]

I always thought it would be a dream come true to go to a racetrack and watch a race caller call races. If you could pick anyone, who would it be?

Id love watch Vic Stauffer (think it would be fun).. Also Roger Huston (Meadows Harness)

[Brogan]

Through a friend of a friend I watched Larry Lederman call a t-bred race on the final day at Garden State some years back...another time got to watch him call a harness race elsewhere.

The guy is a true character and my guess is that he'd be a blast to watch for an entire day.

[horses4courses]

The only times I ever notice a race call is during a really bad one, or when something unusual gets mentioned in the call.
The majority of the time, I'm watching the race unfold, and not paying much attention to the call.

There are at least a half dozen callers who are excellent.
As far as enjoying a call, which doesn't happen that often for me, I tend to notice Michael Wrona from GGF....he makes some great quips at times.
There was one not long ago about a runaway leader in a race "looking like he has a Toyota accelerator", or something like that - cracked me up.

Of course, there is always the East V West (Durkan v Denman) debate.
Pointless to me, as they are both first rate.
The xenophobes (many on this site) will always pick an American over a foreigner. No doubt that a US citizen, provided he has equal skills, should get preference over a foreigner. Difficult to compare callers, too, when preference is largely subjective.
I know it ruffled a lot of feathers when Johnson got the CD job last year.

Truth is, there are many quality race callers out there.
People will have many different favorites, and you can't argue with that.

[Robert Goren]

If all the rumors are true, Terry Wallace in his prime, circa 1980. ;)

[cj]

I always thought it would be a dream come true to go to a racetrack and watch a race caller call races. If you could pick anyone, who would it be?

Id love watch Vic Stauffer (think it would be fun).. Also Roger Huston (Meadows Harness)

It really isn't very exciting at all. The only one I've seen that made it exciting was Costy Caras. He would actually say "continue that way" and turn of the microphone to watch Don Mattingly bat. That is a true story.

[Igeteven]

I always thought it would be a dream come true to go to a racetrack and watch a race caller call races. If you could pick anyone, who would it be?

Id love watch Vic Stauffer (think it would be fun).. Also Roger Huston (Meadows Harness)

Vic is one of the best in the business, I hope when T.D. retires from Santa Anita, he gets the job.
:ThmbUp:

[46zilzal]

Any of the BBC or French Gallop callers. How in the world to they keep track of upwards of 20 runners and get it right?

[joanied]

I'd pick Durkin...he'd be fun and he'd probably have a lot of really good snackin' foods in the booth;)

[Cubbymac26]

Through a friend of a friend I watched Larry Lederman call a t-bred race on the final day at Garden State some years back...another time got to watch him call a harness race elsewhere.

The guy is a true character and my guess is that he'd be a blast to watch for an entire day.


hahahahaha the voice hes one of the best funny as hell.... whenever we sit in the dining room at fhld he comes walking in after the card the crowd stands and claps ona job well done funny but true

[Tape Reader]

All of them.

I was in the booth with Tom Durkin at Saratoga a few years ago, for a small charity donation. I asked a million questions and got good answers into "what the caller looks for." Among his tools were two pair of binoculars and a huge dictionary. The question I neglected to ask was: how many languages are you conversant in. (I sometimes have trouble pronouncing foreign words in the program and would be terribly embarrassed to call one incorrectly.) The experience was most educational and enjoyable.

Being a New Yorker, during the winter, I usually watch the west coast at dinner time. I very much enjoy the calls of Vic Stauffer and Trevor Denman and hope someday to get the opportunity to watch them call a race.

My hat is off to all you Guys. I couldn't do it in a zillion years.

[Lasix67]

Tom Durkin at Saratoga would be my first choice, and John Dooley who I believe is one of the best if not the best in the biz at this time and he is still quite young.

[fmhealth]

Mike Chamberlin at TUP gets my vote. He was kind enough to host my two grandchildren, my daughter & myself for a race about 6 weeks ago. Although it was probably for MCLs, it felt like the BC Classic to us. Mike is a future superstar & a fine gentleman to boot.

I'd rate Boomer as a close second.

[Cardus]

1) A day with Larry Collmus would be fun and interesting;

2) A day with Boomman is interesting. If anyone here could spend a day in the press box at Yavapai -- as I did with Jeff P. and he on HANA day at Yavapai last August -- you would have a blast. Lots of fun, and Boomer had interesting stories and anecdotes about racing.

His name should have been the first name mentioned in this thread.

[Valuist]

Miramahdi- He is the most entertaining by far.

[ALostTexan]

1) A day with Larry Collmus would be fun and interesting;

2) A day with Boomman is interesting. If anyone here could spend a day in the press box at Yavapai -- as I did with Jeff P. and he on HANA day at Yavapai last August -- you would have a blast. Lots of fun, and Boomer had interesting stories and anecdotes about racing.

His name should have been the first name mentioned in this thread.

I couldn't agree more. Great guy, great horseplayer...

[PhantomOnTour]

Miramahdi- He is the most entertaining by far.
You beat me to it. I agree 100% and besides, he could do a voice of every other announcer already mentioned in this thread.

[johnhannibalsmith]

...2) A day with Boomman is interesting. If anyone here could spend a day in the press box at Yavapai -- as I did with Jeff P. and he on HANA day at Yavapai last August -- you would have a blast. Lots of fun, and Boomer had interesting stories and anecdotes about racing.
...

Yes and it should be mentioned how much others enjoy the free buffet, so please, please, feel free to make the trip at least four days a week for the entire summer... ITALIAN cuisine in '10... :jump:

[ranchwest]

Anyone except Battaglia.

Stauffer, Jones or Durkin would probably be fun.

[v j stauffer]

I have guests all the time. PM me and when you come to HP we'll have you up to the booth. Best seat in the house.

VJS

[ranchwest]

It's been about 25 years since I've been to Hollywood, so I don't know when I'll ever make it out there again, but the invitation alone is golden. Thanks.

[sandpit]

Anyone except Battaglia.

Stauffer, Jones or Durkin would probably be fun.

Battaglia is a very fun guy to talk to. He has a life-long history in the game, and his family is synonmous with northern Kentucky racing. Some years back, he did radio race calls for Keeneland (might still be), and he had missed the race and the replay. So he gets the chart and calls the race off of that. I watched him do it. If you think it's hard to call one watching it live, try looking at the chart and imagine doing it. He's not my favorite caller by any stretch, but I have a ton of respect for him.

[ranchwest]

Battaglia is a very fun guy to talk to. He has a life-long history in the game, and his family is synonmous with northern Kentucky racing. Some years back, he did radio race calls for Keeneland (might still be), and he had missed the race and the replay. So he gets the chart and calls the race off of that. I watched him do it. If you think it's hard to call one watching it live, try looking at the chart and imagine doing it. He's not my favorite caller by any stretch, but I have a ton of respect for him.

I'm certain he belongs in the racing business, but since he can't call a live race, I hardly think he could do better off of charts. His constant references to a fifth place finisher moving up on the outside just as the winner crosses the wire drives me up the wall.

[Zippy Chippy]

I'm pretty excited. I get to sit in for a racecall with Sam McKee tomorrow at the meadowlands. Anything I should ask?

[tzipi]

Tom Durkin on a Breeders Cup day.

[Greyfox]

I'd like to have had a chance to watch Luke K.
I loved his calls. He had a great sense of humor. He was a character.
Of course he's gone now. (Hey, maybe just getting to chat with him for a race today would be even more insightful from what he knows now.)

[toussaud]

mike b, no question about it.

i just want to actually see him make a call, go pop some popcorn, do his taxes and get a massage all before speaking again for myself