Race caller
Encyclopedia
A race caller is a public-address announcer or sportscaster
who describes the progress of a race, either for on-track or radio and TV fans. They are most prominent in horse racing, auto racing and track-and-field events.
Among the jobs of a race caller is to identify the positions of various entrants during the race, and point out any sudden moves made by them. In horse racing, many callers also point out the posted fractions—the times at which the lead horse reached the quarter-mile, half-mile and similar points of a race.
A race-caller who specifically describes the event over a racetrack's public-address system is the track announcer.
In horse racing, track announcers handle up to nine or ten races per day; more on special stakes-race days.
Most horse-race callers memorize the horses' and jockey
s' (or drivers in harness racing
) silks and the horses' colors before the race, to be able to quickly identify each entrant. During a racing day, track announcers also inform patrons of scratches, and jockey/driver and equipment changes (for example, whether a horse is wearing "quarter inch bends" or "mud caulks").
. According to the book Sports on New York Radio, McCarthy was hired in 1927 as the first track announcer at Arlington Park
in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the first Thoroughbred racetrack with a public-address system. He later gained national fame calling important horse races for the NBC
Radio Network, including the Kentucky Derby
, starting in 1929.
Other prominent race callers were early sportscasters Ted Husing
, Bill Stern
, and Marty Glickman
, all of whom called horse racing and track-and-field events during their careers.
The best-known horse-race callers since the dawn of the television age have been Chic Anderson
, Dave Johnson
, Trevor Denman
and Tom Durkin
. All four gained acclaim not only as public-address announcers but network sportscasters, providing pre-race analyses and features for national fans as well as the race calls.
Other prominent horse-race callers of recent decades & present day include Marshall Cassidy
, Cawood Ledford
, Fred Capposella, Luke Kruytbosch
, Michael Wrona
, Joe Hernandez, Frank Mirahmadi, Larry Collmus (Monmouth & Gulfstream), John Dooley (Arlington & Fair Grounds), Travis Stone (Louisiana Downs), Peter Berry (Mountaineer Park), Phil Georgeff, John Imbriale (NYRA), Ken Warkentin (Meadowlands), Ken Vick, Kurt Becker (Keeneland), John Lies (Lone Star), Vic Stauffer (Hollywood Park), Mike Battaglia (Turfway), Greg Wry, Jeff Taylor, Dean Caporella (Ebro Greyhound Park), Joshua Brown (Wheeling Island Greyhounds - Charles Town backup) and Terry Wallace, who, as of Late March 2010, has not missed a race at Oaklawn Park in 35+ years. Terry also has called 20,000 races in a row at his present track. Harness-racing fixtures are Ken Middleton (Woodbine/Mohawk), Larry Lederman (Freehold), Bullet Bob Meyer, Roger Huston (The Meadows), Jack E. Lee and Sam McKee (The Meadowlands), while Shannon 'Sugar' Doyle (Northlands) calls both thoroughbred and harness racing full time.
In New England, at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park, a legendary announcer named Babe Rubenstein called races for decades, starting in the 1930s. Rubenstein, it was said, never miscalled a race. He was working at Rockingham Park on the day of the 1938 hurricane, when the winds are said to have blown off the broadcast booth from the top of the grandstand. An often told story in the 1950s had it that Babe was contacted by one networks, for possible employment on a national level, as opposed to his work in New England. The story went that as part of the proposed contract Babe would have to change his name. He refused, saying, "I was born Babe Rubenstein and I will die Babe Rubenstein." Sadly, although sources such as You Tube provide thousands of recordings of singers and musicians from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, a search of the internet in November of 2011 brings up no recordings of Babe Rubenstein's unique voice. Too bad: He could make even "It is now post time," exciting.
In track and field, one of the most prominent race callers is Tom Hammond
of NBC Sports, who also anchors the network's horse-racing coverage.
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
who describes the progress of a race, either for on-track or radio and TV fans. They are most prominent in horse racing, auto racing and track-and-field events.
Among the jobs of a race caller is to identify the positions of various entrants during the race, and point out any sudden moves made by them. In horse racing, many callers also point out the posted fractions—the times at which the lead horse reached the quarter-mile, half-mile and similar points of a race.
A race-caller who specifically describes the event over a racetrack's public-address system is the track announcer.
In horse racing, track announcers handle up to nine or ten races per day; more on special stakes-race days.
Most horse-race callers memorize the horses' and jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s' (or drivers in harness racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
) silks and the horses' colors before the race, to be able to quickly identify each entrant. During a racing day, track announcers also inform patrons of scratches, and jockey/driver and equipment changes (for example, whether a horse is wearing "quarter inch bends" or "mud caulks").
History
Among the earliest prominent race callers was Clem McCarthyClem McCarthy
Clem McCarthy was an American sportscaster and public address announcer. He also lent his voice to Pathe News's RKO newsreels. He was known for his gravelly voice and dramatic style, a "whiskey tenor" as sports announcer and executive David J...
. According to the book Sports on New York Radio, McCarthy was hired in 1927 as the first track announcer at Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the first Thoroughbred racetrack with a public-address system. He later gained national fame calling important horse races for the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Radio Network, including the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
, starting in 1929.
Other prominent race callers were early sportscasters Ted Husing
Ted Husing
Edward Britt Husing was an American sportscaster and was among the first to lay the groundwork for the structure and pace of modern sports reporting on television and radio.-Early life and career:...
, Bill Stern
Bill Stern
Bill Stern was a U.S. actor and sportscaster who announced the nation's first remote sports broadcast and the first telecast of a Major League Baseball game. In 1984, Stern was part of the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame’s inaugural class which included sportscasting legends Red...
, and Marty Glickman
Marty Glickman
Martin "Marty" Glickman was a Jewish American track and field athlete and sports announcer, born in The Bronx, New York. His parents, Harry and Molly Glickmann, immigrated to the United States from Jassy, Romania....
, all of whom called horse racing and track-and-field events during their careers.
The best-known horse-race callers since the dawn of the television age have been Chic Anderson
Chic Anderson
Charles David Anderson was an American sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing...
, Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson (announcer)
Dave Johnson is an American announcer and sportscaster, best known for his work in horse racing with ABC and NBC Sports and at various race tracks in New York and New Jersey...
, Trevor Denman
Trevor Denman
Trevor Denman is an American sportscaster and public-address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing.Denman was born in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa...
and Tom Durkin
Tom Durkin
Tom Durkin is an American sportscaster and public address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing. He was the race caller for NBC Sports from 1984 through 2010....
. All four gained acclaim not only as public-address announcers but network sportscasters, providing pre-race analyses and features for national fans as well as the race calls.
Other prominent horse-race callers of recent decades & present day include Marshall Cassidy
Marshall Cassidy
Marshall Cassidy is an American Thoroughbred racing official based in New York State, and a former public address announcer and sportscaster...
, Cawood Ledford
Cawood Ledford
Cawood Ledford was a longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the University of Kentucky basketball and football teams...
, Fred Capposella, Luke Kruytbosch
Luke Kruytbosch
Lucas Martin "Luke" Kruytbosch was an American Thoroughbred horse racing announcer. He was best known as the on-track public-address voice of Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby from 1999 until his death...
, Michael Wrona
Michael Wrona
Michael Wrona is an announcer from Australia specializing in thoroughbred horse racing. He is the current race caller at Golden Gate Fields in northern California, and has previously called races at Hollywood Park Racetrack in southern California; Bay Meadows in northern California; Arlington Park...
, Joe Hernandez, Frank Mirahmadi, Larry Collmus (Monmouth & Gulfstream), John Dooley (Arlington & Fair Grounds), Travis Stone (Louisiana Downs), Peter Berry (Mountaineer Park), Phil Georgeff, John Imbriale (NYRA), Ken Warkentin (Meadowlands), Ken Vick, Kurt Becker (Keeneland), John Lies (Lone Star), Vic Stauffer (Hollywood Park), Mike Battaglia (Turfway), Greg Wry, Jeff Taylor, Dean Caporella (Ebro Greyhound Park), Joshua Brown (Wheeling Island Greyhounds - Charles Town backup) and Terry Wallace, who, as of Late March 2010, has not missed a race at Oaklawn Park in 35+ years. Terry also has called 20,000 races in a row at his present track. Harness-racing fixtures are Ken Middleton (Woodbine/Mohawk), Larry Lederman (Freehold), Bullet Bob Meyer, Roger Huston (The Meadows), Jack E. Lee and Sam McKee (The Meadowlands), while Shannon 'Sugar' Doyle (Northlands) calls both thoroughbred and harness racing full time.
In New England, at Suffolk Downs and Rockingham Park, a legendary announcer named Babe Rubenstein called races for decades, starting in the 1930s. Rubenstein, it was said, never miscalled a race. He was working at Rockingham Park on the day of the 1938 hurricane, when the winds are said to have blown off the broadcast booth from the top of the grandstand. An often told story in the 1950s had it that Babe was contacted by one networks, for possible employment on a national level, as opposed to his work in New England. The story went that as part of the proposed contract Babe would have to change his name. He refused, saying, "I was born Babe Rubenstein and I will die Babe Rubenstein." Sadly, although sources such as You Tube provide thousands of recordings of singers and musicians from the 1930s, 40s and 50s, a search of the internet in November of 2011 brings up no recordings of Babe Rubenstein's unique voice. Too bad: He could make even "It is now post time," exciting.
In track and field, one of the most prominent race callers is Tom Hammond
Tom Hammond
Tom Hammond is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports television. Hammond is one of the network's staple on-air presenters, along with Bob Costas and Dan Hicks...
of NBC Sports, who also anchors the network's horse-racing coverage.