Denman to call BC races

[Gander]

Nobody mistakes horse names like Durkin. I'm not talking about mispronouncing hard names, I am talking about flat out mistakes. Like calling Silver Train Silver Wagon. But I do like his tone and think overall he is very good. I agree about Denman overusing phrases but Durkin does the same.

If he says "so and so reports home a winner" one more time I'm going to lose it.

Originally Posted by Gander

Nobody mistakes horse names like Durkin. I'm not talking about misrponouncing hard names, I am talking about flat out mistakes. Like calling Silver Train Silver Wagon. But I do like his tone and think overall he is very good. I agree about Denman overusing phrases but Durkin does the same.

If he says "so and so reports home a winner" one more time I'm going to lose it.

He was calling KONGS REVENGE KINGS REVENGE the other day. Drive me nuts.

[my miss storm cat]

I'm thrilled about Denman... best in the business.

Like Truman Capote once said, sometimes there IS God.

[pmayjr]

It sucks that Durkin was signed exclusively to NBC so he couldn't do these races. Denman, is a great race caller, but I hate him for big races. There's no enthusiasm... I mean at least the tone of his voice barely changes.

Durkin is awesome at capturing the moment and giving it the proper enthusiasm and tone of voice needed. In the '01 B.C. Classic, I couldn't imagine if Denman was calling that race instead (the Tiznow-Sakhee duel to the finish).

But... Who would I take instead. The Arlington guy seems like a good choice, but what about Vic Stauffer? He's pretty good doing Hollywood/Gulfstream races. I DON'T WANT THIS TO SEEM LIKE I'M BASHING DENMAN, BUT FOR BIG RACES, HE PUTS ME TO SLEEP.

[ArlJim78]

Is it just possible that we spend entirely too much time and energy discussing who the caller should be for the BC?

I mean after all, when you've got a card like that staring you in the face, the racing alone should be enough to stand on its own, regardless of the caller. Even if, dare i say it, Battaglia was doing the call!!

[Gander]

Well said Jimmy.

Its closing day at Delmar, and nobody has anything to offer. Bah Humbug!

[LARHAGE]

Originally Posted by Gander

I like Denman as well. Fractional times mean nothing to me while watching a race. Its not as if I can change my bet after seeing to fast or too slow of a quarter or half. And there have been many times I have bet horses who blaze the way very quickly and still hang on, and vice versa get away with easy fractions yet still quit. Durkin is good but I am kind of sick of him calling BC's. Time for a change.

I agree, and I like the way Trevor describes what the horses are doing, if you couldn't watch the race on TV you could still feel the excitement in Trevor's calls. He is also a very astute horseman and picks up on a lot of action in the midrace jockeying. I always wanted NBC to let him do more than an analyst spot on the Breeders Cup races. I can hardly wait to hear him say '' And LAVA MAN is moooving like a winner'' in deep stretch!!!! ( or Bernardini)

[ninetoone]

I like Denman. I would also prefer to hear the fractions if I had a choice. Durkin has been geezing for a few years now, but I do enjoy his calls when he gets them right. I'll never forget when he miscalled Birdstone's Travers win in 2004...

"In the darkness at Saratoga, Birdstone has won the 135th BELMONT STAKES!!!" What????? That was ridiculously embarrassing. It's actually still on the video archives of NYRA, I just listened to it again.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by ArlJim78

Is it just possible that we spend entirely too much time and energy discussing who the caller should be for the BC?

I mean after all, when you've got a card like that staring you in the face, the racing alone should be enough to stand on its own, regardless of the caller. Even if, dare i say it, Battaglia was doing the call!!

(claps hands over ears)AAAAAUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!! battaglia!! (ptooey)

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by ateamstupid

Agreed.. Luke is 100x better and easier to listen to than Denman.

att thah wiiiiyahhhhh...i know denman has a place in your hart joe..

[Danzig]

have to say tho that i prefer to hear 'and awaaay they go' eight times rather than 'fooooorrr the leeeaaaaddd'

i will never forget that line in that other post. NEVER.

Originally Posted by zippyneedsawin

Bloodhorse.com:


It's Official: Denman to Call 2006 Breeders' Cup
Date Posted: 9/6/2006 11:08:29 AM
Last Updated: 9/6/2006 11:08:29 AM

Edited press release
Trevor Denman has joined the ESPN announcer team for coverage of the 2006 Breeders' Cup World Championships, ESPN said Sept. 6.

For the first time in the event's 23-year history, the Breeders' Cup will be televised on ESPN, with coverage on many other ESPN platforms, Nov. 4 (noon-7 p.m. EST) from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Denman, a fixture on the Southern California circuit, has been calling races at Del Mar since 1984. He began calling races in his native South Africa in 1971.

"Trevor is second to none among the world's race callers," Norby Williamson, executive vice president of studio and remote production for ESPN, said in a statement. "We are extremely pleased to have him in such an important role on our Breeders' Cup coverage."

Denman will work with hosts Chris Fowler and Kenny Mayne, analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss, as well as reporters Hank Goldberg, Jeannine Edwards, Joe Tessitore, and others.

Tom Durkin has called every Breeders' Cup on NBC since the event's inception in 1984.

The Breeders' Cup, Thoroughbred racing's year-end championships consisting of eight races and $20 million in purses, caps the annual racing season with the richest races in North America on dirt and turf.

He beacme 2-5 to be the caller once Durkin was out...I mean, who else would they have gotten?

Durkin has the classiest voice and great energy and prestige for getting people on the edge of there seats in the stretch run of a race - yet he is not a great technical race caller - as opposed to Denman, who is the best technical caller of all time as far as understanding the pace and which horses are the likely threats to win on the far turn, but his foreign voice gets annoying at times....

The only probelm is that there is no other reknwoned race caller in the country who is better than those two - so I figured it could only be Trevor once Durkin was out....

[ateamstupid]

Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

att thah wiiiiyahhhhh...i know denman has a place in your hart joe..

VERY clowse.. And they're all away to a PUHFECT stott..