Re: Trevor Denman (629 Views)
Posted by:
Bull (IP Logged)
Date: November 08, 2006 04:18PM
I think some of you guys are missing a key point. It wasn't that Denman made a ton of mistakes. Granted the few errors he made were so big and at such crucial points in the race, that he does deserve criticism. However, I think Denman's style is not the right fit for the big races (Breeders Cup, KY Derby, etc.). He has very little range, and his voice and tone just do not have enough punch and excitement which give rise to the great big race calls. Denman is very astute at seeing the "whole" race, and does have some creative phrases that make him unique, but its not what you say sometimes, it's how you say it. And Denman's "How" is just very bland in my opinion. Listen to the call of the Sprint again. His voice never changed tone at one point in the race. At the top of the stretch with Thor's Echo taking the lead in the biggest sprint race of the year, his voice sounded exactly the same as when the gates opened. A blind man listening to that call would never know that the horses were only a few hundred yards from home by listening to Denman.
I love listening to race calls. I tape so many races and enjoy hearing those great calls down the lane of the big races. As I said, Denman is a very observant and intelligent race caller on the SoCal circuit. He is very smooth and steady. All that is great for day to day racing, but for the friggin' Breeders Cup, that just doesn't cut it. If it's an exciting, goose-bump enducing race call that you want, he is not the guy. Denman has been around a while. There is a reason that Durkin was doing the big races for years and not Denman. It's not Trevor's fault that ESPN couldn't have Durkin do the Cup.
The style that people critcize Durkin for day to day in New York, is the exact same thing that makes him great on the big days.
What I wouldn't give to have heard Durkin's Classic call.... "They hit the top of the stretch and with a Championship on the line, Bernardini trying to gut it out for another furlong......"
-Bull