Durkin and Denman, the best by default. I just wish Trevor wasn't so prissy about what he sees to be whip abuse by jockeys. I can tell you that Trevor is probably not a Jorge Chavez fan.

The guys currently calling the races at Fair grounds, Gulfstream and Turf Paradise are all competent but sound very much alike to me. Of the three, I like John Dooley at FG best.

Larry Kallmus (spelling?) is very competent and laid back. He is the full time racecaller at Monmouth and dont know if NYRA will try to lure him away. They need somebody because Durkin seems to work about a 7 month year.

The absolute worst is Mike Battaglia. And to me, even worse than Battaglia is the guy at Tampa Bay Downs. Just awful is not a good enough description, but this is a family message board and I don't want to get profane.

I used to like Bob Weems at Monmouth Park. He had a gravelly, Harry Henson like voice and I always imagined him in the booth with a lit cigarette and a glass of scotch.

I like the fellow who was at FG before CD took over. Wrona? British or South African?Very good detail in the race calls and a great voice. Think he's in Texas now.

Speaking of FG, do you think Churchill Downs can scrape together enough money to buy Pam Fitzgerald (Paddock Commentator) a HAIRBRUSH? I mean I understand you probably gallop horses in the morning, and have a bad case of helmet hair, but for the love of mike-- somedays she looks scary. That Manson girl look doesn't do it for me.

Bottom line on track announcer-- if you are at the track live with a good set of binoculars, you don't need one. I feel badly for any of you guys who never got to Keeneland when they had NO announcer. Very
surreal, but obviously no longer practical(simulcasting).