Wrona is righta for Santa Anita
 

Like his calls and although I like Miramahdi,Wrona has IT, the story telling ability and heady turn of phrase without cliche's . I can listen and enjoy the calls.
Here's his story http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...116-story.html

before I clicked on the link I was thinking about his call on "Denman's Call" last weekend....not sure why that stuck in my mind except maybe for the horse's name. I like him.....

Trevor light

about an octave lighter

Wrona is spot-on in his descriptions of the race. Wrona, Vic or Churchill Downs old announcer Mark Johnson would fit perfectly. As long as its not Larry Collmus

3 weeks of Wrona ending today.. The more you hear of of him, the less appealing he is as a candidate. Mark me down for Mirahmadi so far, thanks..

Guess there weren't any Yids at the track today to prep Wrona on how to properly pronounce Mishegas..

Mirahmadi for the SA job. I might be in the minority, but Wrona's voice always sounds like he's really straining. Never played Golden Gate because he"s very tough for me to listen too. Frank was great at Monmouth last year.

Trevor was equally brutal with this particular name...

Paul

Au contraire mon ami , the more I , not you, hear him,the more appealing he is. Mirahmadi is good, but lets keep him on the east coast ;)

I'll admit that I was never a big Wrona guy, but truthfully I dont watch much Norther California racing either. I have been very impressed with his work at Santa Anita. His calls are sharp, concise and accurate. He knows when to play it up a bit and when not to. I really think he would be an excellent choice to be the permanent voice of the Great Race Place.

My thoughts exactly. Feel bad for whichever guy doesn't get the job.

Either would be fine with me.

However, I think Santa Anita has most likely benefitted as a brand from the Robin Leach "champagne dreams and caviar wishes" accent that they had going with Trevor Denman in the announcer booth, and they will likely call upon Wrona to perpetuate the "poshness".

O

After what I genuinely felt was one of the most enjoyable interviews I've ever experienced (January 8), your comment comes as a surprise and disappointment. Obviously, being interviewed doesn't suggest an endorsement, but you didn't give a hint of disapproval or skepticism. If the opinion you've expressed has been formulated in the couple of weeks since, I must wonder whether you'd ever heard me in 25 preceding years.

Prior to that race, several people went out of their way to tell me that the emphasis belonged on the first syllable, while lamenting that Trevor always emphasized the second. I would never reference such a criticism of him, except for being forced to explain myself. If I was inaccurate with a vowel sound in a later syllable, I apologize and - as I've always made clear at any opportunity - I'm extremely open and receptive to all constructive criticism and correction.

However, given [A] I (supposedly) employed the correct emphasis and [b] Mishegas raced in close proximity to a horse named DIPLODOCUS, I have to tell you that I felt quite relieved to exit the race call (at least, I thought, at the time) unscathed. Furthermore, as my own absolute, full-time, harshest critic, I thought I "read" that race particularly well. Your criticism seems an extraordinary "bone to pick."

Michael..

It's an impossible situation for you and Mirahmadi and Santa Anita, as well as anyone who is considering which of the two of you are 'best' for the position. Of course I've heard your calls ahead of this stint. You and Frank are both excellent racecallers and either of you would be terrific long term voices for Santa Anita.

Those debating it from the outside are just reacting at a gut level to what we're hearing. That's all. It's not an indictment or disapproval, just a 'feel'. It may also be that not hearing Denman is still so awkward to this point that no caller is going to instantly 'feel' right overlaid on the action and it will take permanence to better associate the voice with the venue. As an example, with Durkin's departure, I find it more comfortable hearing John Imbriale call than Larry Collmus because Imbriale's voice/cadence has a long term familiarity to the circuit.

I'm sorry that I shared my reaction at all because it's premature in the process and as said earlier, either of you will do a fine job. I'm sure Mirahmadi would be equally disappointed if I said I preferred you so far.

Not a bone pick but a tongue in cheek barb. This Yiddish word ('messy' or 'nuttiness') was mangled non-stop by Denman and is another no-win arena. I mispronounce names plenty, including a recent bout with Benoit which of course can be Ben-OYT or Ben-WAH depending on the person's familial preference. Emphasis on either syllable isn't definitive, but rather the pronounciation of 'gas': 'gos' v. 'gas' as in mish-uh-gos.

Trevor butchered plenty....
Big Macher
Idon'trollonshabbos

Respectfully, HAVE A FRIGGIN HEART. There is no bigger fan of racing and its participants then Byk. His comment was as tongue an cheek as it gets. While respectfully written your post is oddly much more adversarial and probing then it needed to be and speaks to VERY thin skin, perhaps suggesting that a permanent appointment is NOT in the best interests of racing.

If you thought that Steve Byk was overly critical of an Aussie butchering the pronunciation of a pigeon eastern European sub language you are sadly mistaken. If you thought he was denouncing your commitment to get it right you are sadly mistaken.

As a fan I have enjoyed your calls very much. They are generally excellent. Your thin skin not so much. Good luck in your career pursuits.. "lighten up Francis"

Called Sidney's Candy, Sidney's Craig in my favorite race of his.

Ha! Perfect opportunity to post this hilarious gem from Tom Durkin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwhcS1VPccA

And hey, it can always be worse. I once proofed a textbook where I had to explain to the reader that no, Woody and Arlo's last name was not pronounced "GOOTH-ree."

Hey, GR, almost didn't recognize TD there. It was alot less PC then with toms self deprecating humor lightening it up. Boy, do i miss his calls. thanks for the link.

It's because you only have 9 posts in 8.5 years. Mirahmadi has 27. Post count matters!!!

Glad you liked it! I miss his calls, too. At least the best (and funniest) ones live on forever on Youtube.

Wrona is the best.

I cant begin to imagine how difficult it is to call a race. All I know is that everyone of us would butcher any racecall even if we tried but as long
we could pronounce Mishegas then anyone of us could get the job at Santa Anita perhaps.

Wrona IMO is the best choice for Santa Anita. He makes it look easy. Other race callers seems like they are reading from a script while wrona tells a story.

2 more to try out
 

now 2 more international callers to try out the next 2 weekends.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-raci...at-santa-anita

IMO they are really dicking around Miramahdi. He quit great gigs at Oaklawn and Monmouth and they keep trying to find someone to replace him at Santa Anita.

Agree w/you, not a good sign for him or wrona.

I have no sympathy for him. At the time I thought it was one of the most pathetic and desperate decisions to screw Oaklawn over.

What's great is he's competing against mostly foreigners. And he's obviously also one of the rubes who believed The Stronach Group had changed.

They should just get it over with and hire a Syrian refugee who doesn't speak English as the announcer. It would probably be the best and most entertaining choice as you listen to the new sound of Southern California racing while trying to decide which trainer has the golden needle.

Would also be nice to hear the Syrian refugee introduce Patrick Valenzuela back to the track. Hey Frank the announcer maybe should pick up a yay habit and become a non-conformist. :D

Mirror man or whatever you call yourself...if that doesn't work maybe move to the EU zone or British territories and pick up a horrible accent.

Craig Evans is fantastic. Never could figure out why no one plucked him from Singapore sooner. Clear, concise, and knows how to make it interesting without making himself the focal point of the race. Kind of like Robert Geller.

Drastically different than the big name callers in America. Ziconic's race yesterday was a perfect example. Ziconic would have been the focal point of the call (for better or worse, since I know some people do not like when a caller focuses on one horse rather than calling all horses). Durkin, Denman, Collmus would have been all over his late move, whereas Evans didn't really mention it until 2 or 3 jumps before the wire with a factual, rather than excited, tone.

While Evans is far and away better than Frank and Wrona, I wouldn't say he's the one. Just too bland, imo. No excitement whatsoever. Can't believe there seems to be so few to pick from. Sure do miss Trevor.

Evans could not have bored me more. Why can't they get someone who speaks clear American English that can make a call interesting? Just goes to show how brilliant Tom Durkin is.

It mystifies me that Vic Stauffer is not only the clear frontrunner for this job, but that he hasn't even been given a shot at this job.

I can't believe there aren't at least 50 Americans vying for the job.

But I can believe that management would favor foreigners in a time where a growing percentage of the population is going 'full Murican'.

But then again maybe I'm out of touch and we all secretly want to be under a Monarchy and have cheeky accents.

Maybe we like tea.

Guy is Ben Carson with an Aussie accent. Ripe for a Saturday Night Live sketch where the horses fall asleep during the race. As Donald would say "Low Energy"

I think he has the moniker, THE GOOF ON THE ROOF, 'nuf said.
http://www.paulickreport.com/news/pe...-vic-stauffer/

Calls were clear & accurate, but as bland as drywall. I wasnt a fan.

It is quite amazing that someone so beloved on the internet could be passed over for some of the most prestigious jobs in racing (NYRA, Churchill, SA, Oaklawn) and even more that came available (Emerald, Woodbine, La Downs). Sort of makes you wonder what lies beneath the surface.

Nice to see your beef with Vic inexplicably spills over onto another forum.