Durkin steps down as Triple Crown voice; Collmus takes over

[Hickory Hill Hoff]

Dan Loiselle

[-BT-]

even though he's on vacation....

terry wallace?


-bt-

[Sightseek]

I actually like the Churchill guy....

[Indian Charlie]

Bill Gahr.

[alysheba4]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Bill Gahr.

...... i hated having to listen to him when i had a wager......" its easy goer, sunday silence......sunday silence, easy goer.......its......alysheba by a half length"

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by alysheba4

...... i hated having to listen to him when i had a wager......" its easy goer, sunday silence......sunday silence, easy goer.......its......alysheba by a half length"

Yeah!

I like to bring him up 1-2 times a year to see if anyone else found his calls as hilariously bad as I did.

[SuffolkGirl]

He was interviewed on All things Considered today and threw out his bet, $50 on Shakelford to win

[Travis Stone]

Tom Durkin largely defined what race calling has become. Dave Johnson started to turn the corner, and Durkin just took the idea and ran with it.

The lines he's delivered over the years are not by accident, they are the result of hours of hard work and preparation, just like any sportscaster prepares for a big game.

If you look back at the last 25 years of horse racing, we've had some awesome races, and nothing will ever take away from what happens on the track. But when you took Durkin at his best, and piled his way with words, drama and excitement on top of it, it was awesome. And hopefully will still be for years to come in NY.

Nothing lasts forever though... Larry gave me my start -- he let me call two races at Suffolk Downs in January 2005 -- and since we've been good friends. We became even better friends after I spent the winter at Gulfstream Park last year. He's a pro, he'll do an awesome job and I'm really excited for him!

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by Indian Charlie

Yeah!

I like to bring him up 1-2 times a year to see if anyone else found his calls as hilariously bad as I did.

Yea, i grew up in So Cal and listened to his show on KIEV. I remember he use to say,"under hand, boot and whip" all the time..

[NTamm1215]

Originally Posted by Sightseek

I actually like the Churchill guy....

There's something to be said about letting the local guy doing it. I think Dave Rodman is an excellent caller and his Preakness calls have always been very solid. It will be tough to listen to anyone but Durkin call the Belmont.

That being said, if it has to go to someone I hope it's Larry Collmus.

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by NTamm1215

There's something to be said about letting the local guy doing it. I think Dave Rodman is an excellent caller and his Preakness calls have always been very solid. It will be tough to listen to anyone but Durkin call the Belmont.

That being said, if it has to go to someone I hope it's Larry Collmus.

I'm no xenophobe, and Johnson is a very good caller, but I'd prefer an American call America's biggest race. Forgot about Dooley, he would absolutely be a great choice and it's overdue he get to call something more significant than the Arlington Million (like that Scav?).

[miraja2]

There are some good options out there (and some bad ones) but for me personally - no matter the choice - it just won't be the same without Tom Durkin. On racing's biggest days, he's the best. My favorite one of his TC calls was probably the '03 Derby, but there have been a lot of good ones over the years (the '04 and '09 Preakness and the '98, and '07 Belmonts come immediately to mind). I hate to see him step down.

The BC certainly hasn't been the same without him, and even if NBC selects a better replacement for the TC than ESPN did for the BC (let's hope) I imagine I'll still miss Durkin when the gates open.

[TouchOfGrey]

NYRA Spotlight -Track Announcer Tom Durkin

Went to watch my DVR'd Thoroughbred Weekly on MSG+ and they were showing this instead. Pretty cool.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by TouchOfGrey

NYRA Spotlight -Track Announcer Tom Durkin

Went to watch my DVR'd Thoroughbred Weekly on MSG+ and they were showing this instead. Pretty cool.

I went to the Hall of Fame induction when he was the guest speaker and it was so funny and inspirational you just couldn't wait for that afternoon's races. A lot of passion is put into each and every race he calls and I can understand why he is so stressed.

[DaTruth]

Mike Battaglia.

'Nearing the wire, Uncle Mo is in front. On the outside, Dialed In is closing. Mucho Macho Man to the inside. At the wire, Dialed In wins by six."