American Track Announcers From Days Gone By.

[alhattab]

Terry Wallace called Oaklawn- 20,000 consecutive races from 1975-2001- and at Ak-Sar-Ben for 13 years

"And here comes Chindi!"

He would play it up. My only trip to the Ark Derby was in 1994 (Concern). A horse named Boozing was in the undercard and won. "And it's Booooooooooozing!" The infield crowd (where I was) loved it!

https://omaha.com/sports/local-sport...c518a1309.html

[v j stauffer]

Bob Savage (Hialeah)

Gunnar Froines (Ferndale)

Dick Riley (Ca Fairs)

Craig "OK" Ingram (Ca Fairs)

Ernie Meyers (Caliente)

Ralph Siraco (Hollywood Park)

Don "golden throat" Alexander (Retama)

Danny Alameda (Fresno)

[Rollingpk3]

Vic Ii am from NH and i vaguely remember you being offered the Rockingham park job way back in the day. Is that accurate or am I thinking of someone else.

[Brass Hat]

Originally Posted by Rollingpk3

https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.co...kingham%20Park.

Great article about Jim Hannon; I remember seeing him as a mutuel clerk when I started going to Suffolk.

T.D. Thornton's book "Not By a Long Shot" is a really underrated book in my opinion, for the unvarnished look it has on daily horse racing operations at a track like Suffolk. It includes the Winter Hill Gang, Michael Gill, Patricia Meadow, who runs a few horses at Saratoga each meet. I haven't read it through since it is was published in 2007, but I remember it spoke of race fixing among a regular rider at the meet. The book was published while he was the race caller at Suffolk, took some cojones to write the book.

[Brass Hat]

Originally Posted by alhattab

Terry Wallace called Oaklawn- 20,000 consecutive races from 1975-2001- and at Ak-Sar-Ben for 13 years

"And here comes Chindi!"

He would play it up. My only trip to the Ark Derby was in 1994 (Concern). A horse named Boozing was in the undercard and won. "And it's Booooooooooozing!" The infield crowd (where I was) loved it!

https://omaha.com/sports/local-sport...c518a1309.html

Terry Wallace was a great, funny, guy; it's too bad he called races a bit too long and is remembered for that. He had memory issues before he passed. Remember him fondly, though, a unique character.

[GaryG]

Am I the only one old enough to remember Tom Gwynne at Caliente?

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Rollingpk3

Vic Ii am from NH and i vaguely remember you being offered the Rockingham park job way back in the day. Is that accurate or am I thinking of someone else.

I may have had some very preliminary talks with Lynn Snierson who was in charge of that kind of stuff back then. Nothing ever came together. May have been due to them not being sure about exact race dates or running at all. But my memory is vague.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Brass Hat

Terry Wallace was a great, funny, guy; it's too bad he called races a bit too long and is remembered for that. He had memory issues before he passed. Remember him fondly, though, a unique character.

He is not remembered for ANYTHING else except being the 37 year voice of Oaklawn Park.

He was a pleasure to listen to until his final call.

Myself and all OP fans wish we could have had 37 more.

Nobody ever loved Arkansas racing like Terry.

RIP

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by GaryG

Am I the only one old enough to remember Tom Gwynne at Caliente?

Wow. I've never heard of him. Good for you.

When Ernie was there he'd often blow off calling to attend the live card at Del Mar.

When that happened they'd have the greyhound caller fill in.

Wish I could remember his name. He was pretty good.

Caliente is the sight of my very first live race call.

[wisconsin]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

He is not remembered for ANYTHING else except being the 37 year voice of Oaklawn Park.

He was a pleasure to listen to until his final call.

Myself and all OP fans wish we could have had 37 more.

Nobody ever loved Arkansas racing like Terry.

RIP

Aksarben as well. He was a pleasure, and his voice sounded just like mine, or more accurately, mine like his and I often impersonated him

[GaryG]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Wow. I've never heard of him. Good for you.

When Ernie was there he'd often blow off calling to attend the live card at Del Mar.

When that happened they'd have the greyhound caller fill in.

Wish I could remember his name. He was pretty good.

Caliente is the sight of my very first live race call.

I remember Tom Gwynne from the late 50s and early 60s. He had a very deliberate low key style. The 5-10 was new then. And Warren Eves was a young man.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by wisconsin

Aksarben as well. He was a pleasure, and his voice sounded just like mine, or more accurately, mine like his and I often impersonated him

AK-SAR-BEN is one of the tracks I called the last race run!

GREAT track. Jack Van Berg, Don Von Hemel, John Lively, Orphan Kist, Amadevil, Who Doctor Who, Anthony's, Gorats & The Drover!

Great times!

[Brass Hat]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

He is not remembered for ANYTHING else except being the 37 year voice of Oaklawn Park.

He was a pleasure to listen to until his final call.

Myself and all OP fans wish we could have had 37 more.

Nobody ever loved Arkansas racing like Terry.

RIP

I remember some negativity on this board about his calls the last few years; probably my post was poorly worded. I have great memories of him from the brief time we spent with him.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Brass Hat

I remember some negativity on this board about his calls the last few years; probably my post was poorly worded. I have great memories of him from the brief time we spent with him.

Alas the internet. There is always negativity regarding race callers.

Some have ripped Tom freakin Durkin. What?

Including a guy that was currently calling himself at the time.

Talk about shitting where you eat!

Still can't believe he had the balls or stupidity to press submit.

If anyone should know better it's another race caller.

OMG!

[craigbraddick]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Alas the internet. There is always negativity regarding race callers.

Some have ripped Tom freakin Durkin. What?

Including a guy that was currently calling himself at the time.

Talk about shitting where you eat!

Still can't believe he had the balls or stupidity to press submit.

If anyone should know better it's another race caller.

OMG!

That is the reason why I will not be covering the work of Dave Johnson or Tom Durkin in this although for sure I will reference it. So much has already been said that is so praiseworthy that even the slightest criticism will be blown out of proportion by people looking to score cheap points.

Can you tell me any more about the guy you mentioned who called Fresno and the guy who called the CA Fairs, please? What were they like?

And Vic, what is your view as to why race calling developed the way it did in the USA where for a long time the standard seemed to be "name, margin, name, margin" and then finish the call before they even crossed the line as opposed to the style that developed in the UK, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand which was more descriptive in style?

Thanks.