When does substance trump style?

[Rick B.]

TGJB Wrote:
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> The purpose of having a race call is to get
> information to the public. If a horse breaks down
> and is out of the race, or others are impeded,
> that\'s certainly information, especially to those
> who bet those horses.

That\'s logical...but not really stated anywhere.

The race call is whatever the race caller makes it. Ask 10 different racegoers what a \"good\" race call should contain, and you\'d likely get 4 or 5 different answers.

How did this vital information get to the bettors back in the day when Keeneland didn\'t have a race caller?

My point: the importance of \"this kind\" of race call, or \"that kind\"...totally overblown. Give me a good set of camera shots (or binoculars, if I am at the track), and you can just mute the blowhard du jour.

[Rick B.]

jimbo66 Wrote:
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> It was very shitty race call.  Forget about PR for
> Southern Cal or who his allegiance is to.  Should
> local baseball announcers not mention home runs by
> the opposing team?  Just skip them in their game
> call.

Baseball announcers can\'t ignore if it\'s happening front and center.

Neither can Denman: remember his stretch call of the 2010 BC Classic? He calls \"Zenyatta! Zenyatta! Zenyatta!\", like, I dunno, was it 50 times? 100?

Then, with utter and total disdain: \"...oh, Blame wins it a head...\". He would have LOVED to not have to make that call.

[Edgorman]

Battaglia is the worst.  Drawling away does not pertain to horse racing.  Is it a word??   I can\'t stand Stauffer telling me I better keep an eye on....blah blah blah.  An announcer should be reportorial.  Not a smart ass.  I think Durkin is still great.  Catches most horses making moves which interests most of the crowd.  Trevor has used his same cliches too many times.  Getting to be unlistenable like the Yankees radio voice John Sterling.  It is high, it is deep, it is caught.  Takes away one of life\'s pleasures.  Vin Scully still sounds fresh.

[djr2000]

I think Larry Colmus of monmouth is the best.  Watch and listen to his signature call:

http://youtu.be/BVMY-VX7NyA

[Edgorman]

He is bland and lucked into that Wife-Wife call and actually said nothing clever.  Think of the possibilities.

[moosepalm]

Outside of Battaglia (and I\'d like to think the Tampa Bay guy, too) there\'s likely to be little consensus about race callers at either end of the continuum.  But, I can\'t buy this cover-up conspiracy theory.  Is this some kind of tree fell in the forest and nobody heard it phenomenon?  People know what they saw, regardless of the race caller\'s omission.  Is the track administration so obtuse that they think peoples\' reaction to a tragic event can be modulated by the race caller\'s avoidance of it?  So, now in addition to the bad P.R. which is inescapable, they can look stupid, too.

[Edgorman]

It is absurd to think Trevor Denman, in the middle of a race, processed what he saw and in an instant decided to withhold the information from the pubic to enhance his standing among the Southern California Suits.  I would think he has been calling races long enough to not have to kiss anyone\'s ass.  Perhaps he just missed the event or could not fit it into the flow of his monolog.

[Flighted Iron]

Ray Walston in the Sting is \"my favorite\" racecaller.not to mention a great film.

[alm]

Edgorman Wrote:
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> It is absurd to think Trevor Denman, in the middle
> of a race, processed what he saw and in an instant
> decided to withhold the information from the pubic
> to enhance his standing among the Southern
> California Suits.  I would think he has been
> calling races long enough to not have to kiss
> anyone\'s ass.  Perhaps he just missed the event or
> could not fit it into the flow of his monolog.


I wasn\'t serious when I said that...in fact I could care less what Denman ever has in mind...he\'s turned into a lousy homer.  

But don\'t be so sure what a guy can or can\'t do during the running of a race.  In terms of reflection under pressure no one ever made a greater call than Tom Durkin in the 1994 Travers when Concern made his move on Holy Bull.  In a blink he says about Holy Bull \"he\'s in front by 5 as they come to the quarter pole, but there is cause for concern.\"  You\'re not going to beat that.

Well Durkin has gone haywire now...Denman\'s tossed his professionalism out the window for his heartthob Zenyatta...so where\'s Fred Capposella when we need him?

[P-Dub]

alm Wrote:
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> Edgorman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It is absurd to think Trevor Denman, in the
> middle
> > of a race, processed what he saw and in an
> instant
> > decided to withhold the information from the
> pubic
> > to enhance his standing among the Southern
> > California Suits.  I would think he has been
> > calling races long enough to not have to kiss
> > anyone\'s ass.  Perhaps he just missed the event
> or
> > could not fit it into the flow of his monolog.
>
>
> I wasn\'t serious when I said that...in fact I
> could care less what Denman ever has in
> mind...he\'s turned into a lousy homer.  
>
> But don\'t be so sure what a guy can or can\'t do
> during the running of a race.  In terms of
> reflection under pressure no one ever made a
> greater call than Tom Durkin in the 1994 Travers
> when Concern made his move on Holy Bull.  In a
> blink he says about Holy Bull \"he\'s in front by 5
> as they come to the quarter pole, but there is
> cause for concern.\"  You\'re not going to beat
> that.
>
> Well Durkin has gone haywire now...Denman\'s tossed
> his professionalism out the window for his
> heartthob Zenyatta...so where\'s Fred Capposella
> when we need him?


Denman\'s call reflected what the vast majority of fans felt when Zenyatta lost by a nose.  What, you thing people tuned in for Blame??  So because of this 1 race, lets just call him a lousy homer.

Durkin made a cute call using Concern\'s name, so that is now the benchmark for great calls. Reflection under pressure??  Was someone pointing a gun at his head up in the booth?? What made this call so \"pressurized\'??

You love Durkin, hate Denman. We get it.

[richiebee]

P-Dub:

I wish they would both retire and make room for some young blood. I think the
time is right for an accurate female racecaller with a sultry voice...

[P-Dub]

richiebee Wrote:
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> P-Dub:
>
> I wish they would both retire and make room for
> some young blood. I think the
> time is right for an accurate female racecaller
> with a sultry voice...


Love it Richie!!!

[alm]

Friend

You hardly reflected on what I said.  First of all, I think they are both washed up...Durkin and Denman...both!

Second, I mentioned Durkin\'s comment as a reflection on what a guy can think up on the spot during the running of a race, not to reflect on the greatest call of all time.

Third, no, most of us didn\'t tune in the Breeders Cup to watch Blame win...except for those of us who bet him to win.  Now isn\'t that a snotty remark.  

Moreover, Denman\'s rooting for her didn\'t begin in the Breeders Cup.

Finally, calm down...your blood pressure is showing.

[P-Dub]

alm Wrote:
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> Friend
>
> You hardly reflected on what I said.  First of
> all, I think they are both washed up...Durkin and
> Denman...both!

Agreed, but they are still better than many.
 
> Second, I mentioned Durkin\'s comment as a
> reflection on what a guy can think up on the spot
> during the running of a race, not to reflect on
> the greatest call of all time.

You said...\"You\'re not going to beat that\".  It was a catchy phrase, but sheesh, was it really all that??

>
> Third, no, most of us didn\'t tune in the Breeders
> Cup to watch Blame win...except for those of us
> who bet him to win.  Now isn\'t that a snotty
> remark.  

If you bet him, and cashed a ticket, does it really matter how the race was called?  Many who tuned in did so to watch Zenyatta.

>
> Moreover, Denman\'s rooting for her didn\'t begin in
> the Breeders Cup.

Can you cite some specific examples of how he\'s done this?? Are you telling me that Durkin, Cassidy, et al have never \"rooted\" for a horse before??

\"Tiznow wins it for America!!!!!!\"
\"Its New York\'s Eaasssyyy Goooeeerrr in front\".

Nothing provincial at all with those calls. You\'re correct sir, Denman is the only race caller to ever emphasize 1 horse over another.

>
> Finally, calm down...your blood pressure is
> showing.

Sir, blood pressure is fine, just exchanging opinions.

[alm]

I lived in SoCal for 10 years and listened to Denman all that time...hated his calls then, even without Zenyatta, Zenyatta, Zenyatta...I think I watched at least 4 of her races over the last 2 years of her career and he rooted for her during the races in every one of them...Durkin calling the last part of an Easy Goer victory, or a Tizway victory the way I think you\'re citing him is not rooting them around the track, around the pack and down the stretch.  Moreover, if Durkin commits a similar excess to Denman, what\'s the difference?   He\'s also too cute for words. Sorry.

And if betting a winner like Blame is a reason not to care how a race is called, then why is there such great interest in this subject through 30 posts or so?  It\'s got nothing to do with it.

And you conclude that Denman and Durkin are better than many...so?  This conversation hasn\'t been about being better than a bunch of unnamed people doing the job...it has been about the self-indulgent and the sometimes spectacularly inaccurate racecalling they are doing today.  

This topic\'s kind of going nowhere isn\'t it?