You may have heard – California Chrome is racing in the Pennsylvania Derby on Saturday at Parx Racing. And that’s not all – Untapable is seeking to solidify, if not clinch, the 3YO fillies title in the Cotillion when she takes on StopchargingMaria and Sweet Reason. Both races are for $1 million purses and, for one day at least, Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania will stand at the center of the racing universe.

 All of that is great, and it certainly is a coup both for Parx and mid-Atlantic racing in general to have the Derby winner and the Oaks winner racing in for big purses in key Breeders’ Cup preps. But we think it’s also fair to ask – what’s the point? specifically, what is Parx seeking to accomplish with the PA Derby and the Cotillion? Continue reading Racing’s Big Day Business Model at Smaller Market Tracks: Is Parx Prepared for Primetime? →

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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.

In many ways, it’s almost unfair to designate the 1987 Breeders’ Cup Classic as one of Durkin’s greatest calls. The plot lines were obvious and dramatic.  The race involved the last two Kentucky Derby winners, Alysheba and Ferdinand. The latter was ridden by the legendary Bill Shoemaker, 56 years old at the time of the race, and in the twilight of his career.   At stake was the world’s richest purse.  More importantly, the race far exceeded the storylines as Ferdinand finally assumed the lead in the final sixteenth but had to hold off the younger Derby winner, Alysheba, who was closing with every stride as they reached the shadow of the wire.

As Durkin admitted in an article with DRF,  “There was a lot to work with in that race, but that stretch drive! That stretch drive! No announcer could have ever had it fall into his lap any better than when you get to say…’two Derby winners hit the wire together.’”

While it may be true that Durkin had the perfect set up for this race (similar to being lone speed in a six furlong sprint at Calder), he still had to deliver.  And true to form, he did, with arguably the most iconic one liner in the sport’s history (with apologies to “He’s moving like a tremendous machine.”).

“Ferdinand has the lead.  Alysheba, a final surge! And the two Derby winners, hit the wire togetherrr!”

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Only three days left in Durkin’s historic career.  We encourage everyone to visit the Spa or tune in remotely to watch these final 30 plus calls.

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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.

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.

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.

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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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.

Before Tom Durkin was the voice of NYRA, he was at Hialeah Park.  And long before Doremifasolatido and Ohnoitsmymothernlaw, there was Yakahickamicadola.

Right from the start, Durkin appreciated the absurdity of this name and just started calling gibberish. For my money it’s Durkin’s funniest 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.

The only figure perhaps more famous at Saratoga than Tom Durkin is Fourstardave.  So, Thorobros would be remiss if we did not include a Fourstardave call in our 40 Days of Durkin series.  And is there a more appropriate time to do so than on the day of ‘Dave’s Grade 1 race?

The Sultan of Saratoga won at least one race at the Spa for eight consecutive years spanning from 1987 thru 1994.  In doing so, he became a local legend.  Fourstardave retired after making 99 starts with a record of 21-18-16 and earnings of $1,636,560.   He also owns a mellon turf course record at Saratoga, traveling a mile and sixteenth in 1:38 4/5.

In 1995, following his retirement, Fourstardave was given an edible key to the city of Saratoga and a street,  “Fourstardave Way” was named in his honor.  On a personal note, two young Thorobros attended the 1995 street naming outside Siros and have signed goggles which Angel Cordero wore that day as he rode ‘Dave over from the barn area.

Today’s clip is of Tom Durkin cheering home the “Old Boy” as he dominates an allowance field for his final Saratoga victory.   Enjoy and best of luck to everone wagering on today’s Fourstardave.

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