The Best Race Calls Of All Time

Kris Allens famous call; The chances of beating this one r slimmer than a supermodel...

John the Squid Crake, on a foggy night at the Mohawk 5/8ths, with a certain cadence and pronunciation only the squid could do as they left the gate; and they are off.... Where in the fog are they?

One more on the selfish side... It was the first time my in laws came to visit and hear and watch me announce. My mother in law cooked a roast dinner the night before and I couldn't even eat it... lol the next night a horse got parked the whole mile and swarmed in the lane and somehow hung on... I gave the call; So and so hangs on in a performance that's tougher than my mother in laws roast beef... The funny part about the call is most of my in laws are deaf. No one had the heart to tell my mother in the law what I said...

The best call ever for me would have to be the Standardbred Canada call. Annoucing first annual the fan handicapping contest (in Canada) by Roger Huston. If you've never been on your feet, get up on 'em now.

I'llHaveAnother

Ontario needs racing.

Can't remember the name of the man who made the call but years ago there was an iron horse named Rambling Willie trained and driven by Bob Farrington, he was a fan favorite. While racing at Hollywood Park in California, he suffered such a severe bout of colic that he was operated on in a last effort to save him, euthanasia being the only alternative. Hollywood Park was inundated with letters and calls from his fans for weeks , and the track released frequent bulletins as his condition progressed. The horse recovered and months later won at long odds.
The voice making that race call was hard to hear over the thousands of fans screaming Willie Willie Willie for the last quarter mile.

Tom Durkin calling the '89 Breeders Cup - Sunday Silence vs Easy Goer - is probably my favourite call of all time. Durkin was spot on with every call and gave it everything he had. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbi9VKcR710

A few years back Ken Warkentin, at the Big M, says... "And Warlock Apprentice is coming from China!" - loved it!

There's been lots of great stuff over the year indeed. Great feature SC!

Frank Salive's call when Admirals Express set Woodbines track record
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0wFANPgzhs

Chick Andersons call of Secretariats 31 length victory in the 1973 Belmont (Ron Turcotte aboard) is unsurpassed because of the impact the race had on the nation and horse racing in general.

Surprised no-one mentioned Ken Middleton's call in the Confederation Cup at Flamboro, the day he called Cam Fella "The Pacing Machine", a name that stuck til the day Cam Fella died.

Also enjoyed the call at Orangeville Raceway, back in the 70's when the announcer called the race with Keith Waples on the engine, "faster, faster drives the master", as Keith opened up on the field; a rare occurrence, as most people in the industry know, Keith (and Ronnie) were famous for winning by a nose, or just enough, leaving lots in the tank for next start.

ZEN YAT TA UN BE LIEVE A BLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud_XPH6Eix4

Tom Durkin x 2:

Mack Lobell winning the Hambo... "the others are far back... it's Mack Lobell, and he's pouring it on!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZVQabXZLoY

Arazi winning the Breeders Cup Juvenile... "And he's coming with a menacing rush to Bertrando... and the stage is set as they move to the top of the stretch... and Arazi runs right by him!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNZn919v6BU

Ken Middleton, November 2011....Scott Zeron came from an impossible spot to win a race...

"And Blazing Sakra was shot out of a cannon"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_XTSiQfA3E

It has to be Frank Salive's call in the 2004 Simcoe Stakes when Blissed Out went in 148.4 in his first start for Richie Banca. I rode to Mohawk that nigh with the Velvet Fog and, having being good friends with him for a long time, I had never heard the astonishment in his voice that I heard that night.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCF4QqBgyBY

When I first went to Cloverdale Raceway John Toddhunter was announcing and there
where 5 horses with Hollingsworth in there name and John was getting mixed up ,
when the field headed for home he called ' HERE COMES THE WHOLE DAMMED FAMILY'

outstanding!!!

im only a fan
and only a bettor
and this is why we love your `your show` so much..
fine production here SC

there are too many great nights, so many great `callers...but a few include
..the cam fella meadowlands rally really a remarkable event...
..huston`s falcon seelster..
..life sign was terrfic too
others not to missed,
..the `le voici, here they are``signature for yrs.at blue bonnets´montreal
..fraser downs ummistakeable call ..`racetime!! hey rick uppal.
..legend larry lederman`s NJ color
..john bothe`s trademark BIG M `zooming by`..and ``the iron horse``
..from thoroughbred side,..dave johnson `down the strètch they come` 89 preakness stretch drive sunday silence, easy goer brilliant..and ``here comes the captain,,97 kentucky derby capt`bodgit. loses to silver charm..

Kudos to ALL track announcers who have made my 2 dollar exactor ticket on the 3000 claimers in towns like dresden, woodstock,sudbury and fredericton sound so very important..stretch drive calls so exciting....giving my money the same respect trevor denman gives the cali big time t`breds

..
To middleton, salive, mckee and warkentin, cameron, smooth gary guy, sugar, borg, blanchard,john crake,earl lennox, windsor`s iron horse and one of a kind marty adler,and more....
I raise a glass to all of them now and from then,

Your role in `the show` is the elixir, the `drunken koolaid` that we swallowed a long time ago, and get refilled every night we are àt the races. we can count on all of you night in night out to be consistent, concise, and if not concise,,downright bombastic and just plain entertaining.....if all of you only knew how many family members both in and outside of horse racing you have affected...for example, how many vhs race copies were put aside in the day for grandpa and family when his horse won on a night when his family and frineds were at the track..he and his wife felt like a million dollars because the horse and racecaller delivered....again, i say...

thank you

jimmy cauchon ,,oakley show am640toronto.

Roger Houstons calls of Life Sign and Falcon Seelster, which many of the drivers and trainers said were the best are unreal! Great footage. keep up the good work.

WHEN I THINK BACK IN MY MEMORY ONE THE BEST CALL I HERD WAS AT ORR LAKE FAIR ROY LAWSON WAS RACING THERE WITH RED CHIEF C THE LEAD WAS BY 5LENGHTS AND ANNOUSER SCOOPE JOHNSON YELLED GET THE COFFEE ON MRS LAWSON THIS WAS WHEN I WAS KID ABOUT SEVEN AND IT STUCK IN MY HEAD EVER SINCE THANKS DONNA TOOLE

on of the greatest has to be secretariat in the Belmont "moving like a tremendous machine"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V18ui3Rtjz4

1984 Greenwood Free For All, announcer said "and it looks like it could be all over because the MONKEY WRENCH has a six length margin with an eighth to go, IT IS ALL OVER MONKEY WRENCH draws off by nine!!" ...great day great place GREAT PEOPLE!!!

Norm Borg at Rideau Carleton referring to my horse Kryyssys Best as Kryyssys Breast and stating "I knew I was going to do that". Bruce T. Winning

A good friend of mine called the throughbred races in Northern California. He was calling the races at one of the fairs on a hot day, and had had a few beverages to keep cool. It came to the last race of the day and a trainer had told him he liked his horse, so he made a bet. As the field turned for home he sees the horse he bet on moving up and calls out "And here comes my horse" He never forgot that call.

The best call I heard was at Flamboro some years ago. Keith Waples was in a ace and made a thee-wide move to the front, the announcer yelled 'here comes the Master!'

Keith Waples driving Teddy Be Ready, the call went "faster, faster, cries the master." Keith went on to win the race.

Can't remember the name of the track announcer at Stampede Park but he had some great calls. The one I remember the best was a race won by a horse called Both Barrels N. He won it easy and the caller said, as he crossed the finish line by several lengths, "And it's not one, but Both Barrels N!"

Awesome article!!!!! Do this more often....such a treat, seeing some of the greatest races of all time...and the brilliant people who call them...part of what makes our sport so exciting....Racing horses, there isn't anything in the world any better, accept for maybe eating chocolate while watch the races....thanks for the feel good story.

This was just exceptional entertainment from start to finish!!! Great stuff!

But how about adding the great Larry Lederman's Freehold call genius on this race, where he turns an unpronounceable horse's name into comedy.