Michael Wrona ‏

[Inner Dirt]

Anyone posting a critique and naming a track announcer past or present should post a link to one of their calls for those of us who are less fortunate that have one of the following:


Bad with remembering names.


Data capped internet.


Due note, people with data capped internet are exempt from this mandate.

[Holybull1]

Originally Posted by ClockersCorner

Mr. Wrona is okay as announcer, capable and with a unique style. The track decided not to renew his contract after it expired. I don't see how this represents a sign of the demise of Santa Anita. Trevor is a great announcer and the racing, attendance and handle at the current DMR meet are pretty weak. I can't imagine attending or not attending (or betting on-line) based on the track announcer.

Not being interested in betting a track because of the track announcer is no more far fetched than betting because of the paddock host. I read where Beulah Park simulcast handle increased over 50% after they introduced the Beulah twins.

[JustRalph]

Originally Posted by Holybull1

Not being interested in betting a track because of the track announcer is no more far fetched than betting because of the paddock host. I read where Beulah Park simulcast handle increased over 50% after they introduced the Beulah twins.

No way........?

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Holybull1

Not being interested in betting a track because of the track announcer is no more far fetched than betting because of the paddock host. I read where Beulah Park simulcast handle increased over 50% after they introduced the Beulah twins.

[pandy]

Originally Posted by letswastemoney

I'm in the minority here, but I didn't think Wrona was that good. It wasn't the accent, as I still like Trevor Denman.

Wrona wasn't bad either. The calls just felt unremarkable.

Wrona is good and accurate and I wish him luck, but I personally didn't like his whiny voice and accent and I often turned down the volume. Denman was one of the all-time best, of course, but he had a great voice and his accent wasn't strong. But unfortunately, in my opinion, Denman's success induced other tracks to hire announcers with English accents and none of them could shine Denman's shoes. And I don't recall ever hearing a race call from a track in England where the announcer has an American accent.

I'm glad Frank Mirahmadi is getting the job, which he should have had in the first place. Now I can listen to the Santa Anita calls again. If Wrona was so well liked by the Santa Anita fan base, he wouldn't have been fired.

[pandy]

Originally Posted by airford1

For me it's more than Wrona. Santa Anita doesn't have much to offer and the future doesn't look real good.

Santa Anita is one of the most beautiful tracks in the world, has some of the fastest and classiest horses in racing, an outstanding colony of jockeys and trainers, and has perfect weather most of the time with hardly any races having to come off the turf. And now they finally seem to have gotten rid of the speed bias, most of the time. That's a lot to offer.

[dilanesp]

Originally Posted by pandy

Wrona is good and accurate and I wish him luck, but I personally didn't like his whiny voice and accent and I often turned down the volume. Denman was one of the all-time best, of course, but he had a great voice and his accent wasn't strong. But unfortunately, in my opinion, Denman's success induced other tracks to hire announcers with English accents and none of them could shine Denman's shoes. And I don't recall ever hearing a race call from a track in England where the announcer has an American accent.

I'm glad Frank Mirahmadi is getting the job, which he should have had in the first place. Now I can listen to the Santa Anita calls again. If Wrona was so well liked by the Santa Anita fan base, he wouldn't have been fired.

That last point is disproven by Arlington's firing of Phil Georgeff in 1982.

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by Holybull1

Not being interested in betting a track because of the track announcer is no more far fetched than betting because of the paddock host. I read where Beulah Park simulcast handle increased over 50% after they introduced the Beulah twins.

Originally Posted by JustRalph

No way........?

Holybull is absolutely correct

In 1997, weary of seeing Beulah crowded out of the simulcast market by signals from better tracks, Weiss came up with his signature move. He hired two young, attractive women who had been working as mutuel clerks to host the simulcast show, and they became an instant brand and industry-wide phenomenon. Blatant sexism it was, but all-sources wagering almost doubled within two years, no doubt the result of older men in simulcast parlors paying closer attention to the Beulah signal.

Katie and Jenna were the names of “The Beulah Twins,” whose seductive images were shown in Playboy (a bikini spread, that is) and were featured in numerous mainstream media outlets. They even had their own twin bobblehead.

“There’s no doubt they are noticed,” Weiss said in a 1999 article in the New York Daily News, “and our off-track numbers have gone up significantly. I can’t say it’s 100 percent because of them, but they have made people look at our races.”

https://www.drf.com/news/requiem-rac...orsemen-behind

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by pandy

If Wrona was so well liked by the Santa Anita fan base, he wouldn't have been fired.

Yeah, tell that to John Imbriale.

Phil Georgeff was the most popular announcer ever in Chicago racing history. The fans loved him but management disliked him. So with six weeks left in the Arlington meet, they fired Phil and hired John. According to Imbriale, 85% of the crowd booed him and he received tons of hate mail. He decided not to return for the next meet, the track got sold and Georgeff was hired back.

If I recall correctly a second incident of this type also occurred, but I’d have to do some research for particulars.

[Tom]

I think Johnny I is the best announcer NYRA has and has had in many years.
But I thing this thing with Wrona has more to it than we are hearing.

They went through that whole audition process to choose him and Frank was rejected at that time. Why a change now?

I thought Frank was the best choice all along, and am happy he is there now.
But I think Wrona has been wronged getting axed this close to opening day.

[CheckMark]

Originally Posted by pandy

Wrona is good and accurate and I wish him luck, but I personally didn't like his whiny voice and accent and I often turned down the volume. Denman was one of the all-time best, of course, but he had a great voice and his accent wasn't strong. But unfortunately, in my opinion, Denman's success induced other tracks to hire announcers with English accents and none of them could shine Denman's shoes. And I don't recall ever hearing a race call from a track in England where the announcer has an American accent.

I'm glad Frank Mirahmadi is getting the job, which he should have had in the first place. Now I can listen to the Santa Anita calls again. If Wrona was so well liked by the Santa Anita fan base, he wouldn't have been fired.

What was his line that he said before shutting off? It sounded like "Huroo" or "Puru".

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

What was his line that he said before shutting off? It sounded like "Huroo" or "Puru".

Hooroo is a common Australian term which signifies ‘goodbye’.

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by Tom

But I think Wrona has been wronged getting axed this close to opening day.

100%. I don’t know Mr. Wrona, but I feel terrible for him and, to be honest, I really like his work a lot. This was a classless move by Ritvo.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by pandy

in my opinion, Denman's success induced other tracks to hire announcers with English accents and none of them could shine Denman's shoes. And I don't recall ever hearing a race call from a track in England where the announcer has an American accent.

Neither Denman nor Wrona are English or have English accents.

[spiketoo]

This is like going from a G1 to Clm25000n2L.