The Relevance of Trademark Race Calls

BEEN THERE, BOUGHT THE T-SHIRT: The Relevance of Trademark Race Calls BY MELISSA KEITH Tom Durkin once said calling a race means sticking to the narrative or developing the plot. Trademarks often take the latter in a familiar but crowd-pleasing direction. There are plenty of accurate race calls every day, throughout North America. Then there are the kind of race calls that communicate much more than the action of horses and drivers on the track — they communicate, and generate, emotion. Sometimes it’s an epic race that provides track announcers with a moment deserving special treatment. Trevor Denman’s call of the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic finish (“THIS IS UN-BE-LIVE-ABLE! ZEN-YAT-TA!”) is almost as memorable as the great thoroughbred mare’s historic victory. Roger Huston’s words roused an already-pumped Jug Day crowd as Falcon Seelster drew away in the 1985 Invitational Pace at Delaware, Ohio: “If you’re not already on your feet, YOU BETTER GET UP NOW!” Track announcers naturally have favourites of their own. Buffalo Raceway and Shenendoah County Fair’s Michael Carter “If you’re not has praise for a specific Mohawk Racetrack already on your memory. “One of the biggest races that has re- feet, YOU BETTER ally stood out was the 2007 Breeders’ Crown where Equinox Bi was defeated at the wire, GET UP NOW!” but Corleone Kosmos jumped off stride at the ROGER HUSTON wire. Ken Middleton called this race and it stuck out because of his professionalism, but he also made it a point to inform the public of what was going on, which as an announcer is a huge thing to do!” No trademark call was required, because accuracy and good “flow” during a race are universally valued, espe- cially in the midst of such rapidly-changing circumstances. When it comes to signature different ways of saying things so it doesn’t Mike Hennessey has to do his ‘Piano Man’, catch phrases, opinions are more divided. become repetitive. But I don’t think there’s and he does a fine job. Then of course at the Ken Middleton himself falls into the “less a trademark line I use on a regular basis like end of it, Brandon Campbell stood up on a is more” camp. The Woodbine/Mohawk an- some announcers.” chair and hollered for everybody in the res- nouncer cites “Dave Johnson’s booming de- Not all racecallers need a trademark, al- taurant, ‘THAT JUST HAPPENED!’” livery of ‘And down the stretch they come’” as though Middleton suggests the racecallers To most, Campbell’s words would be one “a household phrase that most people would who use them are among those who motivate Alberta driver’s entertaining take on an- associate to horse racing—both thoroughbred newcomers. “I think I speak for most another’s karaoke prowess; to Doyle, they were and standardbred”, naming “John Bothe’s nouncers when I say most people that try an- golden. “I’m sitting with Ryan Grundy, and ‘Zooooooming by’, Vance Cameron’s ‘Boom! nouncing will emulate someone—or a num- I look over and say, ‘That’s the track record Just like that’ and Dan Loiselle’s ‘Picture ber of other announcers—when they start call!’ and he said, ‘That might work!’” A few time’” as others that come to mind. Yet he out. I know I used to imitate other announc- days afterward, the track record indeed fell admits he doesn’t want to be known for any ers when I was younger and calling races on and Doyle saw his opportunity: “‘Tajma Hall, trademarks. “I just try to be creative, accurate the rooftop of the grandstand.” 1:50.3 — THAT JUST HAPPENED!’ It went and fresh. Every now and then you’ll think of As The Raceway at Western Fair’s Shan- over real good.” non “Sugar” Doyle points out, you know it’s Carter says developing a personal style as one (a trademark call) when you see it on a an announcer takes work. “It can be [chal- t-shirt. The former voice of Northlands Park lenging]; when I first got my start I loved (and says he doesn’t have one characteristic phrase still do love) Sam McKee. I loved the fact that he’s known for (at least yet), although he has he would say a horse was ‘CHARGING hard a few favourites and is constantly compiling down the lane’; it was a very exciting thing, ideas for future use. Like a late-charging clos- but you have to come up with your own style er, inspiration can appear unexpectedly. to make it in this business. Some announcers “THIS IS UN-BE- “I remember that spring of ’08 at North- can do impressions, which is great, but what lands Park, and the miles were going pretty I emphasize to upcoming race-callers is just LIVE-ABLE! ZEN- fast, and I was thinking that the chance of a try to be yourself and you will find your own YAT-TA!” track record being broken was fairly good. phrasing.” We were getting near the end of the meet, it He’s unconvinced that he, or other har- TREVOR DENMAN was getting into May then, and we were out ness race-callers, must coin unique expres- at karaoke. We’re sitting around and of course sions in order to stand out. “It can help, but FEBRUARY/FÉVRIER 2015 TROT 69 having a distinct voice and correctly calling ing home to win a race!’ So I’ve used that in the race is what I focus on,” notes the Buffalo a race, something like, ‘Regal Roxy’s got her Raceway announcer. “My trademark is al- goodbye shoes on tonight — GONE!’” ways at the end of the card where I say ‘Final Former Hippodrome de Montreal race- field for a [particular] night sent on their way.’ caller Danny Emond is another sports fan, That way I keep it simple.” inspired by his sportswriter father’s work. Clear play-by-play analysis in a radio-wor- “My Dad, when he had a day off, he used to thy voice is one proven way to call a race. Yet take me to Saratoga — the harness racing as anyone who’s attended the Little Brown though. He loved the harness, not the thor- “Hippity Hippity Jug, Gold Cup and Saucer, or the 2014 Prix oughbred,” he tells TROT. Emond says Tom Houw BOOM!” d’Ete revival knows, this style of announc- Durkin’s phrasings impressed him: “Like the ing has a flamboyant cousin. Think of those ‘ding-dong battle’ and ‘Rrrrrrobie Davis’ — he GUY LAFONtaiNE trademark lines appearing as t-shirt slogans: used to stretch the name. I learned from the Roger Huston’s “Don’t get shut out! Wager best. I think he’s one of the best announcers NOW!”; Vance Cameron’s “BOOM! Just like I ever heard.” Before his 2006 departure from the Mon- that!”; Guy Lafontaine’s “Hippity Hippity The outspoken Emond argues that har- treal racetrack, Emond says he debated with a Houw BOOM!” (All three are really avail- ness racing could use more, not less, outra- fellow announcer about rationing out enthusi- able on t-shirts at the Delaware Fairgrounds, geousness and colour behind the mic. Trade- asm and trademarks based on the relative im- Charlottetown Driving Park and Hippo- marks are an important ingredient in that portance of a given race. “He said, ‘You can’t drome 3R respectively.) kind of presentation. He gives the “unbeliev- announce all the time like that, putting the Track announcers can find creative lines, able” example of an announcer treating a very action in the race’ and I said, ‘Why not? Guy and potential future trademarks, anywhere. fast three-quarter mile clocking the same wins one race in his whole life, why can’t he “I love music, I love going home and listening way as an average or slow fraction, suggest- feel like that?’” Emond says the excitement of to the sports replays, and I pick up off of that,” ing such lack of emotion discredits the horses a colour-filled race call extends to the bettors says Doyle. “One thing I jotted down — there and drivers, as well as the game itself. “Look as well. “The guy who comes to the racetrack was a song on the radio a lot last year, Car- at sports like football — football is two years and puts $20 to Win on his horse” in an over- rie Underwood’s ‘Good Girl.’ There’s a line ahead of everybody else—baseball with the night race still deserves a good show, perhaps in there talking about ‘goodbye shoes’, and home runs, hockey when a guy scores… we’re even a “BOOM!” call, notes the opinionated I’m thinking, ‘Wow, that’s kind of got a nice [harness racing] still in the ‘50s and the ‘60s! ex-announcer. ring on it, to maybe put on a filly that’s com- Come on! It’s 2015, wake up!” The thrill of the race call is a marketing tool par excellence for any racetrack that opts to allow it, suggests Emond. As a guest on a Montreal sports radio show, he says the pow- er of announcing became apparent: when he broke out his race-calling skills, the host com- mented, “You give me goosebumps. I can’t be- “... having a distinct lieve it – I never went to the races, but I’m ex- voice and correctly cited listening to you.” Communicating that feeling to the next generation should be part calling the race is of an announcer’s role, argues the man who what I focus on.” started his trade at the old Jonquiere, Quebec track.

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