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.

We hope everyone enjoyed yesterday’s epic renewal of the Travers.  In watching the two Jimmy Jerkens’ entrants hit the wire together, we couldn’t help but recall another instance where two stable mates dueled to a tantalizingly close finish in a Grade 1 stakes at Saratoga–the 1997 Go For Wand.

Durkin has crowned the battle between John Kimmel’s champion Hidden Lake and Flat Fleet Feet as “the most exciting race I’ve ever called.”

Hidden Lake entered the 1997 Go For Wand as a heavy favorite and considered by many to be the star of the Filly and Mare division.  However, as they entered the stretch of the 1997 Go For Wand, Hidden Lake was passed by Flat Fleet Feet, not once, but twice.

As Durkin recalls:

Hidden Lake did something that I’d never seen before and have never seen since − she lost the lead twice in the stretch and came back to beat Flat Fleet Feet, who was a great filly, a Grade 1 filly. And they were both trained by John Kimmel. It was a very close photo finish, but I could tell that Hidden Lake won, and so did [Richard] Migliore. It was an incredible display of gameness. She extended herself so much that she couldn’t make it back to the winner’s circle. Migliore had to get off her, and they had to hose her down in front of the clubhouse. They finally revived her, and she came back to the winner’s circle to tremendous, crazy applause.

The scene following the race was filled with potentially tragic ironies. Hidden Lake had just expended an incredibly courageous effort, the likes of which had not been seen since the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, where the namesake of the race Hidden Lake had just captured, Go For Wand, gallantly fought to finish the race despite suffering a catastrophic injury in the final 1/16th.  As an even further reminder, Go For Wand was laid to rest in the Saratoga infield, just yards away from where Hidden Lake appeared to be in distress.  Fortunately, Hidden Lake was revived, and as Durkin notes, returned to a champion’s reception before the appreciative Saratoga crowd.

For those of us lucky to be there that day, it was an unbelievable scene which was undoubtedly enhanced by yet another classic Durkin call.

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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.

Dramatic stretch drives have been a huge part of this list, and today’s feature race is among the most dramatic in recent memory. Although the finish of the 2004 Belmont was not “desperately close” (don’t worry that one’s coming), the on-track drama of waiting to see if the undefeated Smarty Jones could become the first Triple Crown Winner since Affirmed made the the 122,000 fans in attendance hold their collective breath.

Smarty Jones took the lead on the backstretch, and the crowd roared.  Tom Durkin noted the history of the moment at every instance. He made reference to Secretariat’s time, and how much longer Smarty had to hold on to the lead for when he hit the 5/8ths pole. Durkin noted the 26 years that had elapsed since the last Triple Crown winner, as Smarty entered the stretch with the lead.

However, Birdstone’s sustained run that began on the far turn was not lost on Durkin in the face of history. Although 4 lengths behind at the top of the stretch, Birdstone was going to make Smarty Jones “earn it”.

Smarty Jones continued to run, but obviously tired. You can hear the desperation in Durkin’s voice, as he too must have been hopeful to call a Triple Crown. But Birdstone was too strong, and passed Smarty Jones to end the historical run.

Those in attendance, including this Thorobro, were deflated. (You can read about my experience here: http://thorobros.com/?p=108)

But Durkin’s call perfectly summed up the experience. A beautiful effort from a tremendous horse to complete the nearly impossible. And Birdstone went on to prove he was a worthy adversary, as he continued his career by winning the Travers later that summer.

Could history repeat itself on Saturday, as Tonalist brings his talents to the Spa after ending Cali Chrome’s Triple Crown bid? We will be there to find out, and no matter what Tom Durkin will be there to provide a voice to what is sure to be a great and historical running of the Mid-Summer Derby.

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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.

The Sport of Kings boasts numerous iconic moments, such as Ron Turcotte gazing back 31 lengths, searching for any other horses in the same area code; Carl Nafzger describing Unbridled’s 1990 Kentucky Derby win for 90 year old owner Frances Geneter; and Chris Antley, kneeling on the Belmont dirt, clutching Charismatic’s leg, just moments after a disappointing Triple Crown loss.

Equally deserving of inclusion on this list, in our opinion, is the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Classic.  Dubbed the Midnight Classic, it was held in the rain and under complete darkness beneath Churchill Downs’ fabled twin spires.  Flashbulbs were popping as the horses ran into the night. In the end, Alysheba, literally and figuratively, emerged from the darkness and ran into the national spotlight, crossing the wire victorious.

Of course, in addition to this dramatic backdrop, there was Tom Durkin, who provided the vivid narrative for yet another iconic racing moment.

Alysheba entered the 1988 Breeder’s Cup Classic as the winner of the 1987 Kentucky Derby and tough luck runner up of the 1987 Classic (more on that race soon).  He had already reeled off 5 Grade 1 victories during his four year old campaign and looked to clinch horse of the year honors.  The betting public made him a heavy 3/2 favorite.  The victory was far from easy. Alysheba, piloted for the 16^th consecutive time by Chris McCarron, assumed the lead halfway through the stretch, but around the 1/8^th pole, it appeared as though Seeking the Gold (this Thorobro’s first ever horse crush-I was 6 years old) and Pat Day had Alysheba measured.

“Alysheba with a short lead.  He’s unyielding! Seeking the Gold, a final move as they come to the wire! And…Alysheba, America’s horse, has done it!”

“Alysheba wins the world’s richest horse race, and he’s now the world’s richest horse.”

It was a surreal moment, nearly impossible to reduce to words; unless, of course, you’re the greatest race caller of our generation.

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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 we look at the 1994 Breeders Cup Classic, won by Concern. In his call, Tom Durkin displays his incomparable skills as a race caller, by identifying Concern’s winning run that began before the half mile pole.

Concern, who placed in the Preakness and Travers earlier that year, was known as a deep closer. In the Classic, he started a sustained run on the backstretch and gained momentum all the way along the far turn. In the stretch he passed Derby winner Go for Gin and battles with Preakness winnerTabasco Cat to the wire in a dramatic last to first victory.

Concern’s run could easily been lost by a less than expert race caller, but Durkin proved his excellence once again. The call at the line, “Concern from out of the clouds” adds a memorable line to a long list of Durkin favorites.

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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.

Tom Durkin never passes up the opportunity to have fun with an entertaining horse name.  So it was no surprise that he had a plan for a 2008 Saratoga turf sprint which featured the second choice, Ohnoitsmymothernlaw.

His deflated tone announcing the horse cross the wire has made this call famous, but don’t overlook his brilliant one liner just before.

“Ohnoitsmymothernlaw won’t go away!”

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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.

 “Don’t count Flanders out yet!”

The 1994 Juvenile Fillies featured two D. Wayne Lukas trained stars– unbeaten Flanders, owned by William T. Young and future three year old champion and hall of famer Serena’s Song, owned by Bob and Beverly Lewis.  Flanders had won all four of her starts prior to the 1994 Breeder’s Cup.  However, after winning the Matron, she was disqualified and placed last due to testing positive for the prohibited therapeutic drug isoxuprine.   She rebounded with a 21 length win in the Frizette.

Flanders entered the Juvenile Fillies as the favorite.  Perhaps knowing he had the two best horses in the race, Lukas apparently had no issues with both Nakatani and Pat Day going for the lead with Serena’s Song and Flanders respectively.  The two fillies ran together throughout the backstretch and entering the far turn.  As they entered the famed Churchill Down stretch, it appeared as though Serena’s Song had put away Flanders.  But as Durkin would say after the horses crossed the wire:”Never count out Pat Day at Churchill Downs.”  Flanders battled back and a “spellbinding stretch drive” ensued which Durkin narrated perfectly.

“Flanders on the inside. On the outside it’s Serena’s Song.  Give their all as they come down to the line.  A spellbinding stretch drive.  Flanders….Serena’s Song….Flanders looks like she got her nostril on the wire first!”

Of course, Durkin was right.  It was Flanders by a nostril.

Unfortunately, on the way back to the winner’s circle, Day, noticing something was wrong, dismounted from the horse.  Flanders had suffered a condylar fracture of the cannon bone and a fractured sesamoid.  She never raced again.  As Young would say later, we’ll never know how good she could have been.

However, we all know how good Flanders was on that day in 1994, “giving it [her] all” and winning a “spellbinding stretch drive” over a very game Serena’s Song.  

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