Vic Staufer

Does anyone else get a kick out of him like I do. This dude was cracking me up over the weekend on TVG. Not too crazy about his picks but he is one funny dude.

[Suffolk Shippers]

I think Vic is a great race caller, only behind John Dooley in my eyes. He is sometimes comical on TVG, but when he hosted 58 flat last week, he fell 58 flat on his face. I dont hold it against him though, not his style.

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

I think Vic is a great race caller, only behind John Dooley in my eyes. He is sometimes comical on TVG, but when he hosted 58 flat last week, he fell 58 flat on his face. I dont hold it against him though, not his style.

Yeah it is hard to compete with Greg Wolf and Matt. Vic did seem to be out of his element on :58 flat. But that man cracks me up.

[intense]

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

I think Vic is a great race caller, only behind John Dooley in my eyes. He is sometimes comical on TVG, but when he hosted 58 flat last week, he fell 58 flat on his face. I dont hold it against him though, not his style.

I work at AP and Dooley is one hell of a nice guy.

Originally Posted by intense

I work at AP and Dooley is one hell of a nice guy.

I know him well and I second that...class act

What I enjoy about Durkin is that the pace of his call matches the pace of the race. He will using a low tone when the pace is fast and then his tone gets higher and speech gets faster as the race goes faster and get heated.

Denamn is unreal at spotting a horse that is going to make a move when he actually hasnt made it yet. He is extremely good at that.

I like Vic alot but I can always tell when he has money on a horse in the race he is calling. That drives me crazy.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

What I enjoy about Durkin is that the pace of his call matches the pace of the race. He will using a low tone when the pace is fast and then his tone gets higher and speech gets faster as the race goes faster and get heated.

Denamn is unreal at spotting a horse that is going to make a move when he actually hasnt made it yet. He is extremely good at that.

I like Vic alot but I can always tell when he has money on a horse in the race he is calling. That drives me crazy.

Your exaclty right about gambling announcers, and Vic is one of them...you can ALWAYS tell who there money is on and that is a pet peeve of mine too because it compromises the entire call IMO...Terry Wallace is the worst about that (and the worst about most things as a caller (LOL)), and one time I laughed my ass off when he was calling a horse as:

"and now flying from the back of the pack is Chindi..Chindi is picking 'em up and laying down and is stroming home to another win in the King Cotton Stakes.."

..the freakin' horse finished like 4th and he never acknowledged the first three finishers until after they crossed the wire....It really made me mad and so embarrased that he did that..

As for Durkin, your right...he is good at that, but I think he doesn't take his job as seriously as he used to..he takes some days off where he is lifeless on the Mike...kind of like TO taking plays off as a snobby WR....speaking of pace with him, that is another thing he has gotten horrible at judging IMO...he yells emphatically about these blistering 22 and three opening quarter miles like it is a suicide pace, but in fact it is a moderate pace for most of the class of horses he does that to...I think to myself evertime he makes a big deal about a fast pace: "What the hell is he talking about?"...and usually the speed always wins or holds on well.....not a very good "technical" caller IMO..

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

I think Vic is a great race caller, only behind John Dooley in my eyes. He is sometimes comical on TVG, but when he hosted 58 flat last week, he fell 58 flat on his face. I dont hold it against him though, not his style.

dooley//argggg//"with a wide and hopefull run"...

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

dooley//argggg//"with a wide and hopefull run"...

"Artiside's Angel crosses the line first with ET Baird aboard TO WIIIIIIIIIN the 1pm opener, 4 lengths back to Saratoga Paperclip..."

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

I think Vic is a great race caller, only behind John Dooley in my eyes. He is sometimes comical on TVG, but when he hosted 58 flat last week, he fell 58 flat on his face. I dont hold it against him though, not his style.

Wow Suffolk you've really got Dooley up there! Above Stauffer? I agree with what some others have said about him personally, he is a great guy, very nice.

But I've got to tell you that for me he is not that far above Battaglia and a few others as a caller. It's not that he doesn't call a fairly accurate race, he does. It's just the corny expressions, the mechanical ennunciation and his nasally voice that really grate on me.

"Earlie Fires partners number 5 Brittle Shins next into the gate"
"The milers meet up with the main track"
"Bronco Billy! is being produced down the center of the track"
so and so is "holding favoritism" at two to one.
plus all of the this's and that's.

Like I said he annoys me but seems like a very genuine and nice guy.

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Wow Suffolk you've really got Dooley up there! Above Stauffer? I agree with what some others have said about him personally, he is a great guy, very nice.

But I've got to tell you that for me he is not that far above Battaglia and a few others as a caller. It's not that he doesn't call a fairly accurate race, he does. It's just the corny expressions, the mechanical ennunciation and his nasally voice that really grate on me.

"Earlie Fires partners number 5 Brittle Shins next into the gate"
"The milers meet up with the main track"
"Bronco Billy! is being produced down the center of the track"
so and so is "holding favoritism" at two to one.
plus all of the this's and that's.

Like I said he annoys me but seems like a very genuine and nice guy.

I guess we just disagree on this one . I will concede he does use some corny expressions and earlier in the thread I did mention his hench for always nothing "and SO and SO WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS the one o'clock opener".

I must say everyone of the expressions you note above are DEAD ON hahaha and I'm laughing about it. But you forgot, "CD Player HOLDS THE LINE on the front end BUT HERE COMES Saratoga Paperclip rallying on the grandstand side!!!!"

All this Dooley stuff has me laughing now

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

I guess we just disagree on this one . I will concede he does use some corny expressions and earlier in the thread I did mention his hench for always nothing "and SO and SO WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINS the one o'clock opener".

I must say everyone of the expressions you note above are DEAD ON hahaha and I'm laughing about it. But you forgot, "CD Player HOLDS THE LINE on the front end BUT HERE COMES Saratoga Paperclip rallying on the grandstand side!!!!"

All this Dooley stuff has me laughing now

yeah we disagree but I'm also laughing out loud thinking about some of the Dooleyism's. He is just a little too much like Gomer Pyle for me. Shazaaaam!
I wish I could think of more of them right now. I'm going to watch some replays and see if I can come up with so other funny ones.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Wow Suffolk you've really got Dooley up there! Above Stauffer? I agree with what some others have said about him personally, he is a great guy, very nice.

But I've got to tell you that for me he is not that far above Battaglia and a few others as a caller. It's not that he doesn't call a fairly accurate race, he does. It's just the corny expressions, the mechanical ennunciation and his nasally voice that really grate on me.

"Earlie Fires partners number 5 Brittle Shins next into the gate"
"The milers meet up with the main track"
"Bronco Billy! is being produced down the center of the track"
so and so is "holding favoritism" at two to one.
plus all of the this's and that's.

Like I said he annoys me but seems like a very genuine and nice guy.

Your nuts....He is top three race callers out there. He keeps it personal and I like that. UNDER a STERLING RIDE. I agree that he used the produced line a little too much because the second he says that I look for who he is talking about, and they usually get 3rd.

I think the gender gap shows when talking about this. I like guys like Dooley and Stauffer because I think there calls lend to a younger crowd that is their for excitement. How couldn't you get pumped from Vic's Lava Man call, and I played against him and was still pumped. Wrona I can never understand through my small laptop speakers. The Lone Star guy is TOP NOTCH

Originally Posted by Scav

Your nuts....He is top three race callers out there. He keeps it personal and I like that. UNDER a STERLING RIDE. I agree that he used the produced line a little too much because the second he says that I look for who he is talking about, and they usually get 3rd.

I think the gender gap shows when talking about this. I like guys like Dooley and Stauffer because I think there calls lend to a younger crowd that is their for excitement. How couldn't you get pumped from Vic's Lava Man call, and I played against him and was still pumped. Wrona I can never understand through my small laptop speakers. The Lone Star guy is TOP NOTCH

I'm not crazy about the dude from Lone Star...

[Scav]

I just emailed this link to Vic, Haber, you should get Dooley on the board.....These track announcers LOVE message boards.

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by Scav

Your nuts....He is top three race callers out there. He keeps it personal and I like that. UNDER a STERLING RIDE. I agree that he used the produced line a little too much because the second he says that I look for who he is talking about, and they usually get 3rd.

I think the gender gap shows when talking about this. I like guys like Dooley and Stauffer because I think there calls lend to a younger crowd that is their for excitement. How couldn't you get pumped from Vic's Lava Man call, and I played against him and was still pumped. Wrona I can never understand through my small laptop speakers. The Lone Star guy is TOP NOTCH

I can stand almost all of them but Dooley irks me. For me he's in the bottom five.

Originally Posted by eurobounce

Does anyone else get a kick out of him like I do. This dude was cracking me up over the weekend on TVG. Not too crazy about his picks but he is one funny dude.

I love his dedication to our sport, but I think that he is one of the least talented race callers...my personal opinion....his calls are very average from a technical standpoint, and he offers to much post race analysis after the horses cross the wire....his strong suit is the excitement element he adds to the races - which might be the best in the country outside of Durkin, as far as getting you excited in the finish/stretch run of the race...also, I hate announcers who you can tell have premeditated adjectives in place for certain events that may take place, and Vic is bad about that...it ruins it for me when I hear something that you can tell he thought up the night before, like when Surf Cat won a few weeks ago and he sad "Cowabunga Dude!" at the sixteenth pole...horrible...his stretch call in the Whittingham Saturday was the best I've heard from him in a while because you could tell that he was original in describing Lava Man's performance and it just rolled off the tongue..I really enjoyed that call..he need to replicate those types of performances..

Vic has a good sense of humor and is quick-witted, which is helpful for him when on camera, but other than that he is a fairly bad TV personality/commentator....he is too overly opinionated and is a horrible handicapper - and then makes excuses when he loses most of the time....

Best callers: (IMO)

Technical: Trevor Denman - easily the best at this..he calls moves before they happen...great understanding of horses and jockey body language, pace, class, track-play, etc. from gate to wire...

Excitement Component: Tom Durkin - his voice exudes class and prestige, and his stretch calls are so powerful that they emotionally attach you to the race...(although he is not as good as he used to be IMO)..

Most Underated/Unknown: Frank Mirahmadi - This guy is the most talented race caller IMO...he possesses it all...he uses an intelligent vocabulary to describe what is transpiring on the track without over doing it, and his level of excitement with timely adjectives and a raised tone in the stretch is powerful and compelling...On top of that, he is also a very good technical caller, which is far more important to serious horse players than the average racing fan may think.

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

I love his dedication to our sport, but I think that he is one of the least talented race callers...my personal opinion....his calls are very average from a technical standpoint, and he offers to much post race analysis after the horses cross the wire....his strong suit is the excitement element he adds to the races - which might be the best in the country outside of Durkin, as far as getting you excited in the finish/stretch run of the race...also, I hate announcers who you can tell have premeditated adjectives in place for certain events that may take place, and Vic is bad about that...it ruins it for me when I hear something that you can tell he thought up the night before, like when Surf Cat won a few weeks ago and he sad "Cowabunga Dude!" at the sixteenth pole...horrible...his stretch call in the Whittingham Saturday was the best I've heard from him in a while because you could tell that he was original in describing Lava Man's performance and it just rolled off the tongue..I really enjoyed that call..he need to replicate those types of performances..

I agree on the "Cowabunga dude"...that was really really lame....

Vic has a good sense of humor and is quick-witted, which is helpful for him when on camera, but other than that he is a fairly bad TV personality/commentator....he is too overly opinionated and is a horrible handicapper - and then makes excuses when he loses most of the time....

Best callers: (IMO)

Technical: Trevor Denman - easily the best at this..he calls moves before they happen...great understanding of horses and jockey body language, pace, class, track-play, etc. from gate to wire...

Excitement Component: Tom Durkin - his voice exudes class and prestige, and his stretch calls are so powerful that they emotionally attach you to the race...(although he is not as good as he used to be IMO)..

Most Underated/Unknown: Frank Mirahmadi - This guy is the most talented race caller IMO...he possesses it all...he uses an intelligent vocabulary to describe what is transpiring on the track without over doing it, and his level of excitement with timely adjectives and a raised tone in the stretch is powerful and compelling...On top of that, he is also a very good technical caller, which is far more important to serious horse players than the average racing fan may think.

I agree on the "Cowabunga dude"...that was really really lame....where does Mirahmadi call from? I'm sure if I heard his voice I would realize who we were discussing.

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

I agree on the "Cowabunga dude"...that was really really lame....where does Mirahmadi call from? I'm sure if I heard his voice I would realize who we were discussing.

He used to call at Hialeah Park before it shut down and then called at Louisiana Downs for several years and now calls the Fair circuit in California....you may have heard him subbing in at Fair Grounds or Turf Paradise on occasion...he used to start the old FG meets when the Krantz family owned the track because Wrona couldn't fulfill his calling duties in November, and he would also finish Turf Paradise for Luke Krybosche when Luke had to go to Churchill Downs....he's good

Originally Posted by Cunningham Racing

I love his dedication to our sport, but I think that he is one of the least talented race callers...my personal opinion....his calls are very average from a technical standpoint, and he offers to much post race analysis after the horses cross the wire....his strong suit is the excitement element he adds to the races - which might be the best in the country outside of Durkin, as far as getting you excited in the finish/stretch run of the race...also, I hate announcers who you can tell have premeditated adjectives in place for certain events that may take place, and Vic is bad about that...it ruins it for me when I hear something that you can tell he thought up the night before, like when Surf Cat won a few weeks ago and he sad "Cowabunga Dude!" at the sixteenth pole...horrible...his stretch call in the Whittingham Saturday was the best I've heard from him in a while because you could tell that he was original in describing Lava Man's performance and it just rolled off the tongue..I really enjoyed that call..he need to replicate those types of performances..

Vic has a good sense of humor and is quick-witted, which is helpful for him when on camera, but other than that he is a fairly bad TV personality/commentator....he is too overly opinionated and is a horrible handicapper - and then makes excuses when he loses most of the time....

Best callers: (IMO)

Technical: Trevor Denman - easily the best at this..he calls moves before they happen...great understanding of horses and jockey body language, pace, class, track-play, etc. from gate to wire...

Excitement Component: Tom Durkin - his voice exudes class and prestige, and his stretch calls are so powerful that they emotionally attach you to the race...(although he is not as good as he used to be IMO)..

Most Underated/Unknown: Frank Mirahmadi - This guy is the most talented race caller IMO...he possesses it all...he uses an intelligent vocabulary to describe what is transpiring on the track without over doing it, and his level of excitement with timely adjectives and a raised tone in the stretch is powerful and compelling...On top of that, he is also a very good technical caller, which is far more important to serious horse players than the average racing fan may think.

Joel putting Trevor ahead of Durkin is just plain foolish. Perhaps you don't realize this but Trevor fails to do a "little" thing thats called giving fractions. Now that may not seem like such a big deal, but every time Durkin has to interrupt his call to give a fraction it interrupts teh flow of his call and also causes him to have to start with a new cadence upon resuming the fractional call. Now look, if Durkin didn't have to interrupt his superlatives and adjectives with the fractional call(like every great race caller in history has done) I'm sure his calls could be every bit as "technical" as Trevors. fact is Trevor has always punked out and not called fractions so he can showboat with adjectives. hes about 1/10th the race caller that Durkin is.