The question about what race would you like to see brought this to mind
Here is one of mine, with the incredible Roger Huston (180,000+ calls) doing the call:
Really enjoyed that. Thank you.
“The incomparable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!”
“Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Zenyatta!”
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Not not an actual race call, but the outcome could have been very different if not for Edgar’s helping hand.
https://youtu.be/m6sP_Mq64vQ
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This was exactly the call I first thought of when I saw the title of the thread! So since it’s already taken, I’ll share my second favorite, which is (I believe) the only surviving footage of Niatross’ 1980 time trial. Or at least, it’s the only footage that made its way onto Youtube!
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I remember watching that TT in the drivers’ room at Edmonton Northlands…and I do believe that link you shared is the only surviving record of that…will try asking Dean Hoffman, he might know.
I will counter with Somebeachsomewhere winning the NA cup -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz_gRlcBapU
And with one that I saw live, the great On The Road Again winning the Stewart Fraser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiqX5Gvuvas
For the record, OTRA was probably the ugliest yearling I ever saw - tiny, withers high, gangly and a shedding coat that looked rather motheaten
1989 Breeders’ Cup Classic
“And Sunday Silence hangs on to win by a desperate neck!”
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While I’ve watched many races, im not familiar with how the TT work.
What is the purpose of the two other horses? Why are they allowed to break gait/gallop?
Thanks.
I believe the other horses are to push the horse in the time trial–give him some “competition”. A lot of horses won’t give their best working alone.
The prompters are Thoroughbreds and they are just allowed enough speed to keep up although in the Niatross TT, they looked pretty much flat out
It has to be the 2015 Belmont. I still get chills even now when I hear “And here it is! The 37 year wait is over, American Pharoah is finally the one!” I remember the first time I heard that while watching live with shaking hands and complete joy.
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My favorite is from Saratoga. It came across my feed on FB I think. Still makes me laugh. No idea who the caller is, but whoever it is, he has a good sense of humor! :lol:
Tom Durkin made that call.
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Love the “Wife” call, but Spicer Cub at Laurel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbH3N5VJzBE is pretty great, too.
I love this thread! One of my favorites from Larry Collmus calling (if it could be called that) a race in crazy dense fog at Monmouth in 2008: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iV_zWFVjI0
SOMEwhere out there is a race where the horses break in the homestretch and are visible, but when they go into the first turn they disappear into dense fog. The racecaller says, “And from now on…you’re on your own!” I can’t find it online, though I saw other references to it when I tried to search. My husband and I quote this all the time when we can’t see something–“And from now on, you’re on your own!”
Away from the unique circumstance calls and into the historic ones, I don’t know that anything for me will ever match American Pharoah’s 2015 Belmont: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0I4Z8priHQ
Some other favorites:
Tiznow’s 2001 Breeder’s Cup Classic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0QqdYJeCts
This was so soon after 9/11, and the BC was hosted in NY that year. We were a grieving, pained nation, and Tiznow–who had won the Classic the year before–had been plagued with back problems and other physical issues that season. It was really iffy whether he would perform true to his 2000 form. Sakhee was a brilliant European horse (whose jockey described Tiznow as having “a head like a dinosaur”–tenacious in not letting them pass), the Arc winner. That day had already seen many non-American-based horses winning BC races not typically won by them. That’s how it goes in racing some times, but that at such a delicate time, it felt more disheartening. To see Tiznow fight with such grit and determination was encouraging and reassuring and inspiring, and the race call reflected that. I recall reading the coach for the eventual Super Bowl-winning football team for the following season (Patriots, IIRC) showed the video of Tiznow’s 2001 BCC win as inspiration for his team.
Ferdinand’s 1987 Breeder’s Cup Classic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l7TS_wI6qg
There had been a lot of hype leading up to the race–it was the first time Kentucky Derby winners (Ferdinand, 1986, and Alysheba, 1987) had faced each other in a long, long time, and these were exceptionally good horses. The race finished as we had hoped: “The two Derby winners HIT THE WIRE TOGETHER!” I remember watching it live back then–it was a true goosebumps moment.
