I asked earlier, are you calling at Fairgrounds? If not who is it?

Thanks,

Spyder

You must have been wondering what artistic genius designed Sterling Heats' silks when you were there calling race 6 on Nov.6th.;)

Is this ever on the money. Some of the comments during a race by 'top' U.S. announcers are LAUGHABLE. Durkin is particularly bad at correctly detecting moves and identifying the pace (based, one would think, on the way the jocks are riding) before fractions are posted (he has much company with the latter).

It's 2008. Let's keep track announcers for ENTERTAINMENT purposes -- there will always be those 'fans' who get a kick out of 'ARRRRRRRRRRR'. However, we have the technology to implement TRAKUSlike systems and take away all the guesswork out of watching a race. Is there anything more pleasant that MUTING out Denman and (accurately) enjoying a race at DMR? Then again, this is an industry that lives to deliver FLAWED DATA.

P.S. we really don't need GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPLACED ACCENTS doing race calls. Let's give the job to region specific accents.

Very interesting. So I do have a question if you dont mind. Some tracks (like Mountaineer) have what we call "house silks" for the horses and we do not use our own personal silks there. Is this harder or easier or make no difference.

John G. Dooley, regular caller for the last couple of years at The Fair Grounds and Arlington.

Thank you....he's very good.

I give Peter Berry lots of credit... having to re-memorize the same silks over and over must be tough. By the end of the night, I think my mind would be close to exploding!

Sorry I missed your question...

John G. is great! Great guy... "Away and rrrrrrrunning at the Fair Grounds!"

It was Asher... and it was definitely a trainwreck, but it isn't his job, so I'll give him a pass.

My honest opinion... I thought Travis was the best and I hope he gets the job.

Travis is correct about the mind explosion. The first few races are easy enough but as the night wears on there's more focus required.

If the same group owns PID that owns MNR, why are owner sils allowed at one and not the other??:confused:

Its the Arlington guy.

I'm guessing that because Mountaineer runs at night and often in the snow - versus twilight summer fixtures at Presque Isle - management wants to make it more viewer friendly.

The polkadots have to go at Mountaineer

Wrona took a lot of late money moved to 4-5
Neumann floated up to 4-1
Travis is long on board 10-1
Collmus is steady 5-2
Dave Johnson 4-1
John Asher 99-1

John Asher 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999-1

Asher just got gate scratched. Was lame in the post

You would think that the Derby winning Tafel silks would be easy to pick up.

I might understand if was the orange&white checkerboard silks coming down the lane.

The problem with the orange and white checkerboard silks coming down the lane is they usually come down the lane 7 or 8 lengths behind the winners

That is gonna change change thursday...The Heat was waiting on the orange saddlecloth for his mug shot.

In case you didn't see the piece from DRF on this very subject on the mate from down under!!

http://www.drf.com/news/article/99969.html

Of the 5 guys they chose for the "audition" of the derby it is surprising that guys like Durkin or Vic "Soupy Sales" were not included in the mix. I still don't understand how these guys call a field of 20 horses. It has to be impossible to keep that many horses and silks straight.

Maybe those guys declined the offer?

I would think that Durkin didnt apply. why would he?? he's got year round work, calls on arguably the biggest circuit in the country, and he already gets to call the derby as it is on NBC.

as far as calling the derby, its gotta be the hardest thing ever. the 20 horses aside, when they have those tents up in the infield you cant see anything on the far turn. It must be the hardest race on earth to call. Oh by the way there is 150k people there.

But isn't it true that Luke [RIP] called the race at the track and Durkin does it just for the TV audience?

Also Durkin takes the Big A [winter meet] off for the most part.

Yeah it would be up there with the hardest. But there's also the Melbourne Cup, with a similar crowd and 24 horses.

So ave they made a decision on who will announce?

I think Hooves got the job!!!:$: :$: :$:

I was just talking american racing, i guess i should have specified

Yeah Durkin takes the winter off thats true, but AQ spring, Belmont fall and spring and saratoga is alot more working days than the two churchill meets, which ad up to 90 or so. Plus there are a ton more G1 events in NY than there are at Churchill.

Luke called the race on track and on churchill's simulscast signal and i think for radio as well.

I am not questioning Durkin by any means. A great caller by all accounts, especially for stakes races when the 1 and 2 horses are neck-n-neck.

I didnt think you questioned him at all. I was just giving you reasons why i thought he wouldnt apply for the CD position.