In honor of Tom Durkin’s retirement from race calling on August 31, we are taking a look back at 40 of his most memorable calls–one for each day of the 2014 Saratoga meet.
Today is the 51st renewal of the Jim Dandy Stakes (GII) at Saratoga. Named after the 100-1 shot who famously beat Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers Stakes, the Jim Dandy is the local prep, and at least recently the most successful prep race, for the Travers.
Many great horses have won the Jim Dandy over the course of its 50 years, including Street Sense, Bernardini, Awesome Again, Thunder Rumble, Conquistador Cielo, Affirmed and Arts and Letters. Today we look at the 2002 edition of the Dandy, which was won in dominating fashion in something of a coming out party by Medaglia D’Oro. Medaglia D’Oro, who had come in second in the Belmont in his prior race, would go on to win the Travers and come in second to longshot Volponi in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Listen to Tom Durkin call Medaglia D’Oro’s dominant victory in a race that was marred by a nasty spill involving Thorobro-favorite Richard Migliore below:
