Was shocked he called the winner 300 yards away form the wire in a turf race. I had him as the morning line fav for the job but it wont take many of those blunders to stay Miami.
Then again, deciding whether to live in Fort L dale or Louisville. I might sand bag myself.

Article in the C-J on Travis
 

Nice Story, Enjoyable Read , Go Travis !!!!


The voice you hear this week calling the Churchill Downs' races belongs to 24-year-old Travis Stone, the announcer at Harrah's Louisiana Downs.


Stone will call the Churchill races through Sunday as the track has a different announcer each of the meet's five weeks. Fans can e-mail Churchill with their thoughts about him and other announcers to announcer@kyderby.com.

The Courier-Journal caught up with Stone before yesterday's card ....

http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...9/1037/rss0701

Thanks, Zaf! I'm having a lot of fun here in Louisville. Great people, great racing... and great food!

Hi Travis, I think you are a talented racecaller with alot of potential. I especially liked your call of the Super Derby this year. I just wanted you to know in the thread where I indicated I missed Luke's calls that it had nothing to do with the quality of your calls or with the other guys. It had all to do with Mr. Kruytbosch's indelible mark he left at Churchill. Goodluck the rest of the way!

well said... i feel the same way.

Luke will be tough to follow but I am rooting for Travis.

Not speaking for Travis, but i dont think he or any of the callers would take offense to someone saying they miss luke's calls. I think even the guys who are trying out even miss his calls. I know i miss his calls and miss his prank calls to the Portland meadows booth to order our daily lunch special.

Luke was the man!! that being said.....Go Travis!

I enjoyed your calls this week. My horses ran well with your call so maybe you were good luck to them......

Just before the stairs which take you up to the top floor where the booth is, they built a shadow box featuring Luke's binoculars, a photo, crayons and three of his Derby programs. It's very touching, and extremely appropriate. Everyone misses Luke calls, those of filling-in, those of us not, racing fans, family and friends.

If you scroll down halfway or so on this page:

http://www.churchilldowns.com/blog/m...-shoes-to-fill

...you can read a wonderful piece written by Marty McGee on Luke. It's very well done.

Thank you for the kind words everyone. It's been a fun week. Wednesday was not a bad day of race calls, just not my best, but it took me a few steps out of the gate to find my stride. For the Mrs. Revere yesterday I had a handful of people pop into the booth to watch but was pleased with how it ended-up.

CD is very challenging to call with its towering stretch and angle at which the horses run towards you (pretty much straight at you).

I was talking to David Carroll yesterday morning and he had heard my interview on HRTV and commented on how I said horses tend to hang around in the race longer and how he agreed. That requires a new slew of words such as game, hanging in there, fights-on, won't give up etc. Very challenging, but lots of fun!

If you like what you hear, make sure you let them know!

I saw the shadow box yesterday at Churchill...very cool, Luke is my favorite race caller and its strange to be at Churchill and not hear Luke. Travis you have been doing great...I will be up in the press box today at Churchill....if you see a younger guy with a red Thoroughbred Times polo on say hi.

It was great to meet everyone from the board while I was CD this week! I had a great time. Louisville is a pretty neat city... but as I was told numerous times, it's more like a large town. Very unique.

I'm off to San Fran. today... if you're in the GGF area, shoot me an PM!

Travis,

Excellent call yesterday in the Commonwealth, "lock and loaded" was your description of Nistle's Crunch at the top of the stretch with nowhere to go. Couldn't have been more apropos, cudo's to you for seeing the dangerous horse even when the result wasn't obvious.

Travis, It was nice meeting you sunday...thanks for the invite up to the announcer's booth. Good luck at Golden Gate this week and hope to see you at Churchill full time.

Travis - Good to hear you at Golden Gate today, very professional and much different than we're used to up here in NorCal... Well done!