Jessica Paquette calling Parx

[Inner Dirt]

Was it Joe Alto (sorry if I misspelled) who called Los Alamitos harness? I think he commonly used "down the lane they come" "rocking chair drive" and "booted home". That was a time where I was doing very well betting the pacers and trotters. Great memories!


Another wonderful memory at Los Al Harness was a fellow railbird shouting insults at Gerald Longo after he did what he did best, staying on the rail too long and getting boxed in down the stretch with a horse that was still "full of pace." Longo was walking down the stretch back to the barn while this guy was shouting "Longo you are a !@@##! piece of garbage" over and over again. All of a sudden Longo walks over to the rail and comes up to this guy standing right next to me, and invites him to come on his side of the fence and say that to his face. I cupped my hands together as an offer to help the guy over the fence, he put his tail between his legs and walked away.
So many priceless memories from attending live racing.


I have read that even as he got old he still got in fights, no idea if true. Wrong guy to talk shit to unless you are ready to rumble. After that he became the Garbage Man to me.

[SandyW]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

On both Thursday Night and Monday Night Football they played clips of when Al Michaels and Joe Buck were just starting out as top tier football play by play announcers. Both noticeably cringed and apologized for how bad they thought they sounded.

That's another part of the maturation process. Not just Jessica all announcers can and many do learn and practice how to sound better.

While experience is part of it the betterment doesn't just happen. There are a myriad of things one can do.

The biggest is breathing exercises before calling a race you know you're going to be nervous about.

Go back and listen to my call of the 2002 Hollywood Gold Cup won by Sky Jack if you want to hear what is sounds like when you don't prepare your voice.

Breathing control is one of the most important part of calling elite races. You must learn how to expand and involve your diaphragm and that can only be incorporated buy experience and doing your pre race breathing.

Another major factor is confidence brought about by knowing you've done it before and can again with the proper preparation. I spent 3 Breeders Cups in the booth right behind Tom Durkin. He had a notebook with him that showed every silk of every horse running throughout every BC race. He told me he started to prepare for the BC from about a month out. Including different phrases he was ready to incorporate in different scenarios. One that blew me away was when BLACK TIE AFFAIR won the Classic with "Brother" Earlie Fires. He was even ready to say something poignant about a 40-1 shot that few thought was a serious contender.

He started warming up his voice about 30 minutes before the first race and did full blown breathing exercises before each and every race.

One's voice, tone and resonance can change and improve. Mine certainly did over the years. Wanna talk about cringe worthy. The first graded race I called was the Michigan Mile won by a horse named BADWAGON HARRY. I sounded like a a complete buffoon and nearly collapsed after the wire.

Everything can change for young announcers starting on their way. Confidence, experience, technique, style, resonance, rhythm makes everyone sound better. This WILL happen with Jessica as well as any other developing race caller who puts in the work, doesn't cut corners and stays humble.

Oh, there are so many things that can trip up young announcers and experienced ones as well. I remember seeing Tom Durkin get so mad before the Breeders' Cup Turf he turned beet red and I swear I thought he was going to keel over. It was a 14 horse field in diminishing sunlight at Churchill Downs. Yes he was ready by having studied the silks well in advance. What he WASN'T ready for was a three horse Allen Paulsen entry all coming onto the track ALL with the exact same bright red cap colors. I think the colors man in the jocks room still may not have recovered from the tongue lashing he took from Tom after that race.

I never forgot that and always reminded the silks guy at Gulfstream, Hollywood and Oaklawn to double check that was taken care of.

Another trick I would use to help with identification would be to know the silks 100% percent. But after I had that in the bag I would go back during the warmup and memorize the entire field using ONLY the cap colors in case I got in a tough spot with horses stacked up 3 and 4 wide going into the far turn. That was especially helpful at Oaklawn where the first place difficult shadows hit are at the quarter pole in the dying sunlight of races like the Rebel which is earlier in the season and the Arkansas Derby which is usually the 13th of 14 races crammed in before darkness set in.

There's another mistake young announcer learn. Don't go all in on early big races on a card featuring multiple Graded Stakes. If you take you're voice to it's strongest point too early in the day it like any other muscle might not rebound and leave you lacking when you get to the main event. That happened to me when WHITMORE went from 6th and last to the lead in 4 jumps one year in the Count Fleet. I went to a place I knew I shouldn't and my voice never recovered for the rest of the card. Frustrating!!

Bottom line for all your race callers. Not just Jessica. Your voice can and will change and you will sound better as the days, months and years. As Graded Stakes get put into your holster.

Always respect your opinion and will see what happens in the future. you have changed my mind and I will be giving her a very long leash for improvement as I really have no right to come down on someone that is trying hard to do a good job.
We in Las Vegas still miss you Vic as Oaklawn management should always hang their heads in shame for what they did to you. That track forgot that they had such a dedicated and talented employee working for them. I can never look favorable towards Oaklawn ever again as I have cut my betting down to near zero at Oaklawn because of their unjust decision towards you.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Thanks Vic! I was Googling Buchwald, I will probably be asking again in a year,
we have a lot of the same memories and are the same age, but I am sure I have been hit in the head a lot more than you have. I always wonder why Alan did not get a long steady gig at a major track. He was behind the mic at Hollywood between Harry Henson and you, correct?

Alan could have been a full time announcer at many places. He wasn't as passionate about making race calling his sole career and I think he wanted to stay in Southern Ca.

He had/has a successful career as a TV and video producer.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Didn't some one say the saying the EVD announcer says at the start is required for the job? What is it again?

Il Son Parte

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

As long as I am asking, who called Hollywood Park Harness in the late 70's and Los Alamitos QH at the same time? The Los Al guy was the first track announcer I heard in person at 14. I run automatic metal cutting equipment in my business, from time to time when I hit the start button I will yell "They're
running" in memory of that Los Al announcer. Fortunately I now work alone and the nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile away, oops 2 furlongs, or I am sure I would get a visit from mental health authorities.

There was more than one announcer for Western Harness. I think Ralph Siraco was one of them but by far the superstar of the bunch was the GREAT Robin Burns who IMO is the GOAT of harness race caller. Niatross paced at Hollywood Park. As did the "King of the Cal Breds" DESMOND! Sadly I was at HP the night the great driver Shelly Goodreau was killed. He was driving a horse named REGANS'S LAD. His rein broke. He went off the side of the bike and was mortally injured. I had the awful job of writing the story for the next day's edition of the Daily Racing Form.

As for the Los Alamitos race caller. It was the legendary one and only BOBBY DOYLE!

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Was it Joe Alto (sorry if I misspelled) who called Los Alamitos harness? I think he commonly used "down the lane they come" "rocking chair drive" and "booted home". That was a time where I was doing very well betting the pacers and trotters. Great memories!


Another wonderful memory at Los Al Harness was a fellow railbird shouting insults at Gerald Longo after he did what he did best, staying on the rail too long and getting boxed in down the stretch with a horse that was still "full of pace." Longo was walking down the stretch back to the barn while this guy was shouting "Longo you are a !@@##! piece of garbage" over and over again. All of a sudden Longo walks over to the rail and comes up to this guy standing right next to me, and invites him to come on his side of the fence and say that to his face. I cupped my hands together as an offer to help the guy over the fence, he put his tail between his legs and walked away.
So many priceless memories from attending live racing.


I have read that even as he got old he still got in fights, no idea if true. Wrong guy to talk shit to unless you are ready to rumble. After that he became the Garbage Man to me.

Joe Alto called both Los Al Harness and was the long time voice of Cal Expo. You'd never find a nicer man.

He had many "catch" phrases. The ones you listed and another I flat out plagiarized and used hundreds of time. " you better take a look at...."

I also stole another call from an industry stalwart Todd Schrupp.

He's the one who first coined the phase "whacker" for super close photo finishes. Stolen!

[PhantomOnTour]

Ils sont partis

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by SandyW

Always respect your opinion and will see what happens in the future. you have changed my mind and I will be giving her a very long leash for improvement as I really have no right to come down on someone that is trying hard to do a good job.
We in Las Vegas still miss you Vic as Oaklawn management should always hang their heads in shame for what they did to you. That track forgot that they had such a dedicated and talented employee working for them. I can never look favorable towards Oaklawn ever again as I have cut my betting down to near zero at Oaklawn because of their unjust decision towards you.

I know I'm supposed to deal with it and move on. I'm still struggling with that. It's on me. I'll get there. Might have to move to Germany to completely exercise the demons.

Ugh!

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Didn't some one say the saying the EVD announcer says at the start is required for the job? What is it again?

Michael Chamberlain only said it at the start of the first race.

Ils sont partis

Then track announcer Gene Griffin coined the phrase in the early '70's

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

There was more than one announcer for Western Harness. I think Ralph Siraco was one of them but by far the superstar of the bunch was the GREAT Robin Burns who IMO is the GOAT of harness race caller. Niatross paced at Hollywood Park. As did the "King of the Cal Breds" DESMOND! Sadly I was at HP the night the great driver Shelly Goodreau was killed. He was driving a horse named REGANS'S LAD. His rein broke. He went off the side of the bike and was mortally injured. I had the awful job of writing the story for the next day's edition of the Daily Racing Form.

As for the Los Alamitos race caller. It was the legendary one and only BOBBY DOYLE!

Off of memory and not Goggling I think Niatross was " pacing a hole in the wind" that night and I was glad to be there. That was tough on me, I lived in Hemet then and a day shift worker. 220 mile round trip drive and go to work the next day. I only did that on Friday nights. Saturday was OT, I always game for time and a half win or lose.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I've always thought that Denman was better than Durkin...but I must admit that Tom Durkin has supplied the race call that has been most memorable to me. I don't remember the race, or who was leading as the horses were rounding into the stretch...but the horse CONCERN was charging from the rear of the pack, and as Durkin named the horses on the lead he bellowed out..."BUT THERE IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN!". Contrived or not...that line will live with me forever.

I died a little bit inside reading this...you don't remember who was leading...

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

I died a little bit inside reading this...you don't remember who was leading...

Just wait until you get to be my age...

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

I died a little bit inside reading this...you don't remember who was leading...

Yeah that great memory was incomplete. The call was " Mike Smith Let's the Bull roll but there's cause for Concern"

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by cj

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NCOYIdjpvA

If that's not the greatest call ever (Secretariat Belmont?) it's in the top 5. Durkin is the best ever for me.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

You're thinking of Alan Buchdahl. IMO he is a really good announcer. I've always thought some announcers just have a big race track feel and Alan always had that.

He's a partial counter-example to your point about young announcers. Buchdahl started VERY young-- he might have even been like 21 or 22 when he took over Oak Tree-- and got very good, very fast. Wasn't a big editorializer, but he was accurate and exciting in the big moments. Called some of the more important races in John Henry's career and did a very good job.