Durkin's Saratoga Memories
Aug 7, 2013 7:12:46 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Aug 7, 2013 7:12:46 GMT -5
As The Spa is celebrating 150 years, there are a lot of recollections. All of them offer interesting insight of Saratoga's rich history.
The voice of NYRA, Tom Durkin, shares memories and past experiences at Saratoga
Published: Wednesday, August 07, 2013
By ANDREW CHAMPAGNE
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The voice everyone hears during the summer at Saratoga Race Course belongs to Tom Durkin, a man with big pipes and a personality to match.
Durkin is currently in his 23rd year of calling races for the New York Racing Association at Saratoga, Belmont Park, and Aqueduct. It’s been a long, strange trip for the race-caller, one that’s included stops at county fairs in Wisconsin and other venues in Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, and New Jersey.
“Typically, I'd be on the back of a pickup truck,” Durkin said of his time in Wisconsin. “Sometimes, they actually had a stand. I was the king of the world calling $200 and $300 races. I was happy as a clam.”
Inspired by former Arlington Park track announcer Phil Georgeff, Durkin broke into the business in 1971. In a career that’s spanned four decades, Durkin has called more than his fair share of big races, including those in the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup.
The announcer, though, said that there’s something special about calling races at Saratoga Race Course.
“It's just the general atmosphere and the proximity to the horses,” Durkin said. “It's a much more visceral experience just because of the fact that you're so close to them and can see more detail. You can see the effort, you can see the competitive nature of the horses and the jockeys. They're not little dots on a screen.”
While some of Durkin's shining moments have come in the biggest races, several of his most memorable calls have come far from the bright lights, whether it was stumbling over Yakahickamickadola at Hialeah, singing scales when Doremifasollatido broke her maiden at Belmont Park, or talking like a pirate when Arrrrr came home as the favorite at Saratoga several years ago.
“In terms of being funny, you have to be very judicious about that,” Durkin explained. “People are betting money, and you never make fun of anybody. That's just bad manners all over, so you really have to pick those spots.
“You name your horse Arrrrr, you're not supposed to let it just lay there. I do that, but those are very rare occasions. You just have to use your own judgment as to when they're appropriate and when they're not.”
Durkin’s current interests in racing, however, go far beyond the announcer’s booth. He is an active owner of several trotters, including Coraggioso, who last year won the feature race at the Night of Champions card at Yonkers. Continued...
“My partner Joe (Spadaro) and I, our goal is to have 8-year-olds, not 2-year-olds or 3-year-olds,” he said of his long-term approach to the game. “That's fun, it's all fun.”
An enthusiastic fan of his horses who wears his emotions on his sleeves, Durkin often goes all-out when his standardbreds are in action. When Coraggioso was entered at Saratoga Casino and Raceway earlier this summer, for instance, he came to work in a green shirt and tie, “bubble-gum” pants held up by a white belt, and chartreuse shoes, and he is usually seen wearing a Panama hat that has become his trademark.
Additionally, when his horses win, those in the audience generally know it.
“I really am a good loser,” Durkin insisted. “I'm grateful when they come back safe and for the effort they put in.
The voice of NYRA, Tom Durkin, shares memories and past experiences at Saratoga
Published: Wednesday, August 07, 2013
By ANDREW CHAMPAGNE
The Saratogian
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The voice everyone hears during the summer at Saratoga Race Course belongs to Tom Durkin, a man with big pipes and a personality to match.
Durkin is currently in his 23rd year of calling races for the New York Racing Association at Saratoga, Belmont Park, and Aqueduct. It’s been a long, strange trip for the race-caller, one that’s included stops at county fairs in Wisconsin and other venues in Illinois, Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, and New Jersey.
“Typically, I'd be on the back of a pickup truck,” Durkin said of his time in Wisconsin. “Sometimes, they actually had a stand. I was the king of the world calling $200 and $300 races. I was happy as a clam.”
Inspired by former Arlington Park track announcer Phil Georgeff, Durkin broke into the business in 1971. In a career that’s spanned four decades, Durkin has called more than his fair share of big races, including those in the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup.
The announcer, though, said that there’s something special about calling races at Saratoga Race Course.
“It's just the general atmosphere and the proximity to the horses,” Durkin said. “It's a much more visceral experience just because of the fact that you're so close to them and can see more detail. You can see the effort, you can see the competitive nature of the horses and the jockeys. They're not little dots on a screen.”
While some of Durkin's shining moments have come in the biggest races, several of his most memorable calls have come far from the bright lights, whether it was stumbling over Yakahickamickadola at Hialeah, singing scales when Doremifasollatido broke her maiden at Belmont Park, or talking like a pirate when Arrrrr came home as the favorite at Saratoga several years ago.
“In terms of being funny, you have to be very judicious about that,” Durkin explained. “People are betting money, and you never make fun of anybody. That's just bad manners all over, so you really have to pick those spots.
“You name your horse Arrrrr, you're not supposed to let it just lay there. I do that, but those are very rare occasions. You just have to use your own judgment as to when they're appropriate and when they're not.”
Durkin’s current interests in racing, however, go far beyond the announcer’s booth. He is an active owner of several trotters, including Coraggioso, who last year won the feature race at the Night of Champions card at Yonkers. Continued...
“My partner Joe (Spadaro) and I, our goal is to have 8-year-olds, not 2-year-olds or 3-year-olds,” he said of his long-term approach to the game. “That's fun, it's all fun.”
An enthusiastic fan of his horses who wears his emotions on his sleeves, Durkin often goes all-out when his standardbreds are in action. When Coraggioso was entered at Saratoga Casino and Raceway earlier this summer, for instance, he came to work in a green shirt and tie, “bubble-gum” pants held up by a white belt, and chartreuse shoes, and he is usually seen wearing a Panama hat that has become his trademark.
Additionally, when his horses win, those in the audience generally know it.
“I really am a good loser,” Durkin insisted. “I'm grateful when they come back safe and for the effort they put in.