Was just reminded of another infamous Durkin call - “Doremifasolatido”, with the inevitable off key yodel on the “…do”…
By Peter Aiello this last winter at Hialeah when Skyline Lover won yet another stakes race ( he won 4 at the meet at distances of 400 to 1000 yds):
“Quarter horses aren’t supposed to win easy-- but this one does” as he anihilated his competition yet again by more than a length of daylight!!!
[QUOTE=CVPeg;5735933]
Was just reminded of another infamous Durkin call - “Doremifasolatido”, with the inevitable off key yodel on the “…do”…[/QUOTE]
I heard that one… It was brilliantly done, albiet predictable. :lol:
I don’t remember who it was but the horse had an unpronounceable (so it seems) foreign name and the announcer mangled it (purposefully) a different way every time he said it.
Then there was the race where it was foggy and the caller had them to the turn and then “You’re on your own!”
Is Roger Huston still around?
I had a mare back at Delaware in the early 90s who had a lot of speed but didnt like to extend herself around the turn because she bled pretty significantly several times in that spot for her previous connections. Horses have long memories… Anyway, with a lot of effort we healed and resolved the bleeding issues and had some fun times with her in cheap claimers. Well, one race, she goes to the front, then drops back to last around the turn in a 6 horse field or so, and starts running like hell again down the stretch to win. The call was “Fast Lane Fergie, from first to last to FIRST AGAIN!”
Yes he is. He reached the 150,000 call mark in 08. He announces at Historic Track, Delaware County Fair and the Meadows. Youtube has a good selection of his race calls
There were a few calls where the callers had, as you can imagine, problems with a filly named “Flat Fleet Feet”. She was a very talented 2 YO, but I suspect she was purchased by a consortium of track announcers…
[QUOTE=Madeline;5737832]
There were a few calls where the callers had, as you can imagine, problems with a filly named “Flat Fleet Feet”. She was a very talented 2 YO, but I suspect she was purchased by a consortium of track announcers…[/QUOTE]
LOL…I also wonder who at the Jockey Club let “Hoof Hearted” past. I’m thinking they need to start saying names aloud and quickly during the approval process…did Sofa King Fast get through, too?
Of course Secretariat’s
He is moving like a TREMENDOUS machine! is classic and unforgetable
But my favorite has to be:
Last year there was the stretch duel between The Wife Knows Everything and The Wife Doesn’t Know - the call ended with “of course she does”.
USTA let Hoof Hearted through in 82 and Standardbred Canada in 93; oddly, neither mare raced. Also allowed was Norfolk And Way - try sayig that at race calling speeds, and then there were the infamous duo of Fog Duckin (Stb) and Fog Ducker (tb) and both raced at roughly the same time, much to the chagrin of the NP announcer…“and here they come! It’s Fog Duckin!!! (then came the infamous letter switch) and its _og _uckin all the way!!!”,
Bombs Away!
Hi All,
A few years back at Philadelphia Park, my little ‘Xena’ was running in a maiden special weight. She went off at about 85-1 after two losing efforts (we believe she just enjoyed herself in those races). She then ran a strong and true race causing Keith, the announcer, to almost lose it because of the long odds and a very unexpected victory. As she went under the wire he shouted ‘Bombs Away! It’s Grade A. Fancy!’ which I guess is his trademark saying for real longshots. We laughed and we cried!
Gotta add that Tom Durkin’s calls on Arrrrrrrrr I will never forget - he is a brilliant announcer. Still miss his voice at the Breeders Cup.
In the book ‘Laughing in the Hills,’ Bill Barich spoke with several announcers and gave some wonderful examples of ‘oops’ moments for race callers.
Hallie
Years ago there was a mare that raced in New York, called “Bodacious tatas’s” I think Durkin made some comments on how he loved calling her in races.
Brilliant calls - gives one goosebumps. I still don’t think it is ‘funny’ to give a magnificent horse like a TB a name that is disrespectful or vulgar - although Hoof Hearted was a BC horse and has become legendary.
I used to groom a STB named
Nip Pulls. Paddocking him was SUCH fun. So was getting my picture taken in the winners circle.
You do NOT want to know what my nickname was that summer…
Just now in a tight stretch run in the 7th at Saratoga - Durkin, “…Fiery Rebel and Never Right Joey - those two ding-donging it down to the line…”
15k claimer - Never Right Joey 3-1 won the photo by a nose over 40-1 Fiery Rebel.
Love when Durkin gets to call a head-bobbin’ ding-dong. 
Not exactly one for the ages, but Trevor Dedman’s call of yesterday’s race at Del Mar which was won (impressively, too) by Free Beer had so much potential for good comedy!
Was pretty funny when he repeated “Free Beer!” all the way down the stretch. 
Toronto, which is home to Woodbine, was also home to Greenwood Raceway as well. Now, the important thing to remember, is that the name for that area in settlement days was York. The first trainer I worked for told me about a horse whose name was the seemingly-innocent York Hunt. :eek: Yes, there was indeed a York Hunt Club in the area too. :lol:
One local race call was for a hard-running horse named Salute the KIng; he ran a hard-fought race to victory, and Mike Robitaille gave the stretch run including the words “Salute the King can run all day!”. If my memory is right, they lost him to colic, so in his honour they named one of their prospects Kingcanrunallday. He did the originator of his name proud, winning over a quarter million, including a second in graded stakes company.
Dee
Is it on video?
[QUOTE=pinkdiamondracing;5736046]
By Peter Aiello this last winter at Hialeah when Skyline Lover won yet another stakes race ( he won 4 at the meet at distances of 400 to 1000 yds):
“Quarter horses aren’t supposed to win easy-- but this one does” as he annihilated his competition yet again by more than a length of daylight!!![/QUOTE]
Pete also called greyhound races at Tucson Greyhound Park in college. He has told people about the multiple races he called with a dog named ‘Smotheredchicken’. Pete pronounced it Smo The Red Chicken, only to be told after -many- races that it was supposed to be Smothered Chicken. The best part was a few years ago he was in a restaurant where an entree’s name was… Pete’s Smothered Chicken
