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.

[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"...

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.

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

[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..."

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.

[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 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..

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

[Rupert Pupkin]

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'm with you. I love Vic. He is very colorful and very entertaining. My two favorite announcers are Vic and Tom Durkin.

[disappearingdan_akaplaya]

i became fond of vic several years back when he called 1 race meet here in chicago@hawthorne just before he moved onto the big time........was very sad to see him go! i like dooley was well and some of his lines are very catchy like"shes charging faster than a little girl with daddys credit card" but at the same time other lines are very cheesey! wrona is my fav caller in the game, and my 2nd kevin goemmer(rip) passed away a couple of years ago unfortunately

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.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by disappearingdan_akaplaya

i became fond of vic several years back when he called 1 race meet here in chicago@hawthorne just before he moved onto the big time........was very sad to see him go! i like dooley was well and some of his lines are very catchy like"shes charging faster than a little girl with daddys credit card" but at the same time other lines are very cheesey! wrona is my fav caller in the game, and my 2nd kevin goemmer(rip) passed away a couple of years ago unfortunately

Playa, have you heard him use that credit card line again, after the first time? I watch ALOT of Arlignton races and since that day that he used it, I HAVE NOT heard it again. I like that

[Seattleallstar]

Durkin
John G

the best 2 in the game

Denman, and Stauffer battle for 3rd and 4th. Somewhere in between is Dave Johnson

Then below that is Luke K, Hoover at Keenland, Larry Colmus, Michael Wrona, Tony Calo

[Seattleallstar]

i think we are all in agreement that Battaglia sucks

Originally Posted by Seattleallstar

i think we are all in agreement that Battaglia sucks

That he does. I don't like VS either tho.

Originally Posted by oracle80

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.

I couldn't agree less, but that is your opinion and you're entitled to it..

..When I say technical, I am referring to everything except the glamorous voice and vivid adjectives or anything else that is cosmetic about the race call. A good technical race caller paints the best picture of how the race is unfolding...it takes great forecasting and handicapping ability and Denman is leaps and bounds better at it than Durkin....I've seen several races in New York where a jockey dropped his stick, or there was significant bumping, or a horse was closing from the clouds and Durkin never saw him....

..great example was this year's Wood Memorial..Durkin was so caught up on Keyed Entry and Bob and John walking home in that race that he didn't even mention ONE WORD about Jazil closing until after the wire he yelled "Jazil"...horrible...How can you miss a horse that closes from 20 lengths out of it?..I was hoping he would win to see how Durkin was going to wiggle out of it..LOL.

Denman understands the horses a lot more than Durkin and it shows in his race calls.....Howvere, I do prefer the class and power in Durkin's stretch calls.

As for the fractions, Denman will say them when he feels that they are relavent....Durkin thinks every first quarter is "blistering"..it's hilarious.

As a horse player, I guess I don't value a race caller telling me the fractions unless they matter...i.e. too fast or too slow...I have trained myself to get the fractions off the monitor because they are available to read a few seconds before Durkin says anything - thus he is being redundant half of the time he is saying the fractions anyway....I would rather an announcer be accurate with his call and be able to see things that are about to happen and communicate them fast - instead of reacting late like guys like Tom Durkin and Terry Wallace do most of the time....just my opinion...