Tom Durkin's call.

[PatCummings]

Originally Posted by Travis Stone

This is so true. When race calling with the same silks, at least in my opinion, you can verify the horse by other markings, jockey style or in the worst case, by its saddle cloth. In the Derby, however, with three horses of the same silk and virtually no chance of seeing a saddle cloth... yikes. You're in the "look through the rest of the field for the other two first" territory. Brutal.

The only thing I noticed...

Mr Hot Stuff had a shadowroll, Advice had a white bridle with no shadowroll or blinkers, Hold Me Back had a dark bridle that was indistinguishable. Would have been the only way to tell them apart...well, except for the fact that you would have known if one of them was making an absurdly premature move, it had to be Hold Me Back because Desormeaux was riding.

[Riot]

Wasn't Durkin's finest hour at all. Mark Johnson did a great job. Wish I could have heard that on NBC.

I've listened a couple times, never heard him say "Darby", only "Derby' with his accent.

[PeteMugg]

Originally Posted by Riot

Wasn't Durkin's finest hour at all. Mark Johnson did a great job. Wish I could have heard that on NBC.

I've listened a couple times, never heard him say "Darby", only "Derby' with his accent.

Well said

I think Johnson did an excellent job, especially under such sloppy conditions.

[TheSpyder]

Yep, I'm on board with him. Did a fine job and like his calls

Originally Posted by PeteMugg

Well said

I think Johnson did an excellent job, especially under such sloppy conditions.

[copying]

I play the Japanese races and the Australian races where 20 horse fields are fairly common. Their calls are vastly superior to what Durkin subjected us to. "Spectacular, Spectacular" - hey tell me what's happening, who's in front, who's coming, is he pulling away? Is he hanging on? what duh????????

[Suffolk Shippers]

Originally Posted by copying

I play the Japanese races and the Australian races where 20 horse fields are fairly common. Their calls are vastly superior to what Durkin subjected us to. "Spectacular, Spectacular" - hey tell me what's happening, who's in front, who's coming, is he pulling away? Is he hanging on? what duh????????

I also enjoy when the announcer gets a call in the booth from the track crew when a scratch is happening or something of the like...and the announcer answers on air.

[randallscott35]

Look he's done a lot of great calls in his life. This was not one of them. It happens.