Trevor retiring

[chenoa]

Originally Posted by cj

I think I expressed how I feel about Trevor as a racecaller when I started this thread, but personally, I don't think he is great at this point in his career. That isn't a knock in my opinion. Nobody can maintain the form he had in his younger years at 63.

Very accurate statement, as a follower of SoCal racing you knew this was coming sooner rather than later, not a knock, father time catches up with everybody. He had a great career.

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by MonmouthParkJoe

Best of luck to him in retirement. I was never a fan at all, but different strokes for different folks.

I hope to god Mirahmadi doesnt leave Monmouth. I grew up with the soothing sounds of Collmus and always associated his voice with Monmouth. Travis Stone came in that one year and was absolutely miserable. I like announcers that get the call right and make it their own, give it a little personality. Stone had about as much personality as a bucket of hair.

Durkin was always my favorite, and without him this past year at Saratoga made a considerable difference for me. I hope they bring him back for a day there, I would make the trip just for that. Lederman was another favorite of mine at Freehold.

Someone mentioned Sam McKee and I think he would be great, but cant see him leaving the big m. Here is to hoping Frank doesnt leave Monmouth, even though it would make sense for him to do so. Esp with him being such a fan of Trevor

Good thing Churchill disagreed with your assessment of Travis. As did the people who responded to a Twitter poll about who the next SA announcer should be. Different strokes for different folks.

[NY BRED]

SEND LARRY C TO THE WEST COAST

THEN ;

BRING IN TRAVIS STONE TO NY ON A PERMANENT BASIS


THE PERFECT STORM IN MY WORLD...

[Stillriledup]

One thing that gets lost in all of this is that for years on top of years, it was Trevor at SA, DMR and then right into FAIRplex for what seemed like 18 consecutive days Trevor didnt miss a day or a race. Amazing commitment to call the entire Fplex meet after a grueling 6 day a week DMR meet in the summers, it was rare when Trevor missed a race much less a day. Kudos to the work ethic, it took a lot for this guy to miss a race.

[theiman]

Mirahmadi was just on a So Cal radio show. He said when he is at SA, Wrona will be at GG. When Wrona does the SA races, Mirahmadi will be doing the GG races. The schedule hasnt been finalized yet.

I dont know what this means for Monmouth or Oaklawn.

[Valuist]

So Colmus gets the BC. He wanted Churchill, he got that. He wanted the NYRA gig, he got that. Nothing against him, but is he that much better than the others? I don't think so. I'm guessing if he wants this he will get it.

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by Valuist

So Colmus gets the BC. He wanted Churchill, he got that. He wanted the NYRA gig, he got that. Nothing against him, but is he that much better than the others? I don't think so. I'm guessing if he wants this he will get it.

Here's the thing about Collmus. He's not flashy, but he's a very trustworthy human, his calls while not over the top, are exactly what horseplayers want, accuracy and calmness, one thing that irks me is announcers who overall cheap races and call with nervous energy, Larry keeps me calm which is actually important when risking money on races.

Larry is a classic announcer with old school charm, this is the type of announcer tracks are looking for, they're looking for a voice that makes you think they have a quality product, Larry does that better than most (if not all) and this is exactly what Trevor gave so cal racing for so many years.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by MonmouthParkJoe

Best of luck to him in retirement. I was never a fan at all, but different strokes for different folks.

I hope to god Mirahmadi doesnt leave Monmouth. I grew up with the soothing sounds of Collmus and always associated his voice with Monmouth. Travis Stone came in that one year and was absolutely miserable. I like announcers that get the call right and make it their own, give it a little personality. Stone had about as much personality as a bucket of hair.

Durkin was always my favorite, and without him this past year at Saratoga made a considerable difference for me. I hope they bring him back for a day there, I would make the trip just for that. Lederman was another favorite of mine at Freehold.

Someone mentioned Sam McKee and I think he would be great, but cant see him leaving the big m. Here is to hoping Frank doesnt leave Monmouth, even though it would make sense for him to do so. Esp with him being such a fan of Trevor

It's funny how you hate Travis Stone but love Durkin, yet Stone sounds like a young Durkin mixed with Dave Johnson. He's also about 30---time to grow into that voice.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by EMD4ME

"And they couldn't be going faster out here"

"Theeeeeeey come to the top of the lane"

"Insert name here, draaaaaaaaws cleaaaahhhhhh by thaaareeee"

"Not in any hurry out here"

"setting a sensible pace"

"six lengths would cover the lot"

I've met Trevor a couple times, and hosted him at my place of business once.

He really loves his job...but also equally loves life outside the track, esp up at his place in Minnesota.

His voice has been sounding very tired lately. I have to imagine the extending SA and DMR meets are simply wearing him down.

I'll miss his calls a ton.

[TravisVOX]

I had the privilege of spending time with Trevor one night at a local watering hole while in Del Mar for the weekend. In addition to his unmatched abilities as a race caller, he's also a fun and interesting person. He's cultured, well-read and enjoys a good time. He also tried to get me to stop eating meat, but that didn't work.

My favorite "Trevorism" is... "out here mooooooving like a winner!"

The three iconic voices of my lifetime (Johnson, Durkin and Denman) all semi-retired or retired. Sad in a way.

[jballscalls]

My only Trevor story was getting to sit with him for a maiden claiming race one day. He called the race as I sat there watching him and afterwards he turned around "Jason I'm sorry you had to see that, it had to be the worst race we've ever had here at Santa Anita". I told him that any of those horses would be stakes winners where I call at.

He really was so cool. My favorite Trevorism is when they're on the final turn and he gets back to a favorite who's in trouble and says "And let's see" then says the horses name and you know your ticket is toast if you played that horse.

[jballscalls]

Originally Posted by theiman

Mirahmadi was just on a So Cal radio show. He said when he is at SA, Wrona will be at GG. When Wrona does the SA races, Mirahmadi will be doing the GG races. The schedule hasnt been finalized yet.

I dont know what this means for Monmouth or Oaklawn.

Means the Oaklawn GM's phone is ringing off the hook

[Stillriledup]

Originally Posted by TravisVOX

I had the privilege of spending time with Trevor one night at a local watering hole while in Del Mar for the weekend. In addition to his unmatched abilities as a race caller, he's also a fun and interesting person. He's cultured, well-read and enjoys a good time. He also tried to get me to stop eating meat, but that didn't work.

My favorite "Trevorism" is... "out here mooooooving like a winner!"

The three iconic voices of my lifetime (Johnson, Durkin and Denman) all semi-retired or retired. Sad in a way.

Jimmy Os

[Redbullsnation]

Originally Posted by jballscalls

Means the Oaklawn GM's phone is ringing off the hook

Terry Wallace is making a comeback

[dilanesp]

As always, track announcers aren't very important. Indeed, all that great announcing by Trevor didn't stop Santa Anita attendance from declining from 25,000 a day when he got there to 5,000 a day now, or the Santa Anita Handicap from declining from 83,000 attendance (the first year he called it) to 27,000 now.

It turns out that people cared much more about the sport when announcing was much more embryonic. It really doesn't matter who is calling the races.

Having said that, there is a sense in which Trevor, probably more than any other American racing announcer in history, made an impact. And that is that he really was the guy who put together the modern, detailed racecall. He consistently identified trouble. He looked for moves and the horse's action and whether they were being asked, and therefore conveyed in his call who was going to be around at the finish rather than who was in front. He was incredibly accurate, especially in his early years. Like Chick Hearn with the Lakers, he created a lexicon-- "scraping the paint", "they'd have to sprout wings", "going the better of the two", etc.

Racecalling in America is much better because Trevor came here from South Africa and showed us how to do it.

So he was the most influential (though perhaps not the best) at a craft that isn't particularly important. I will still miss him though.