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.
With the Hall of Fame induction ceremony this Friday, today we give you the call of the great champion filly Ashado’s victory in the 2005 Go For Wand “at the Spaaaaa”. She will be inducted on Friday in a ceremony, where Tom Durkin will serve as master of ceremonies.
Ashado, a champion at 3 and 4, won 7 Grade I races. But the Go for Wand was her most dominant. She made the lead all on her own, effortlessly on the far turn, and exploded through the stretch.
Durkin, recognizing the champion, was in awe of her margin of victory. A classy filly, who contended in every race she ran. Durkin’s exuberance in the stretch matches perfectly this great filly’s turn of foot.
