Yonkers announcer

[Papillon]

Keith Jones was actually the announcer when Garden State had harness racing and was also announcing at Philly Park then too and chose to stay at Philly Park which turned out to be the right move. Track announcers are usually right on the finish line even though they may be high up, so not going out on a limb on a tight photo shouldn't happen. If you're wrong, so what. I'm excellent at calling tight finishes because I know what tracks have inside or outside advantages at the finish line. Harrah's Philly has one of the biggest outside advantages on photos around.

Larry Lederman did 99% of Garden St harness calls--Keith did only a handful of nights

Larry was always one of my favorites--but I am from NJ and understand why he is so disliked by many

[gh2009]

Larry lived a long time with his brain tumor before he finally passed away. As for his announcing, he was a good announcer that tried too hard to be funny and needed fresh material. When people are betting and losing their money the last thing they want is for the track announcer to make jokes during the race. He didn't bother me but did need new material. When you're a good announcer you really don't need to be a comedian too.

[Papillon]

Larry lived a long time with his brain tumor before he finally passed away. As for his announcing, he was a good announcer that tried too hard to be funny and needed fresh material. When people are betting and losing their money the last thing they want is for the track announcer to make jokes during the race. He didn't bother me but did need new material. When you're a good announcer you really don't need to be a comedian too.

I can agree to some point--but Larry came up as a  comedian and opened up for Robin Williams back in the late 70s.....so being a comedian is who he was and he brought that to his race calls and many didn't like it

[Pacer 2]

My God does he have a tongue piercing? They can start a new series this fall, name it the Borgata Dickinmymouth Pacing Series. 

Unlike your lazy ass at least he has a job!! 

[gh2009]

Are you familiar with track announcer Frank Mirahmadi who's the track announcer at Santa Anita and Saratogo T-breds? He was the announcer at several other tracks before getting the job at Santa Anita and used to do impressions of celebrities during the race calling part of the race and was very good at it. Once he got the Santa Anita job he was advised to cut them out because he was an excellent announcer without them so he did. Larry did some unique things during the race like giving baseball scores during the race at Freehold or his famous call at Garden State, "it's not a battle, it's a war".

[kantseeback]

My favorite caller on the harness side is the late Jack E Lee.
My favorite caller on the T bred side was Marshall Cassidy.

[gh2009]

My favorite caller on the harness side is the late Jack E Lee.
My favorite caller on the T bred side was Marshall Cassidy.

They're about as opposite as you can get. Cassidy was totally serious, and Jack E Lee was a clown with all his nicknames.

[Ignorance Is Bliss]

Unlike your lazy ass at least he has a job!! 

Yeah, taking money from the welfare industry called harness racing. Calling races nobody watches. Bravoooooooo

[Papillon]

Are you familiar with track announcer Frank Mirahmadi who's the track announcer at Santa Anita and Saratogo T-breds? He was the announcer at several other tracks before getting the job at Santa Anita and used to do impressions of celebrities during the race calling part of the race and was very good at it. Once he got the Santa Anita job he was advised to cut them out because he was an excellent announcer without them so he did. Larry did some unique things during the race like giving baseball scores during the race at Freehold or his famous call at Garden State, "it's not a battle, it's a war".

I think Frank is great and I still have his email address from when we discussed mules

I have Frank just behind Durkin and Collmus as greats--almost never wrong when calling photos and picks up moves very quickly. I am happy he is at Saratoga.

yes I recall the imitations--they were funny

I believe he started at Louisiana Downs

[gh2009]

You and I disagree on Collmus, I think he's good but not as good as he thinks he is, and demanded a larger salary from NYRA who ended up moving on from him. Even though he's the voice of The Triple Crown and Breeder's Cup I think both Travis Stone at Churchill and Dave Rodman at Pimlico are better announcers than him.

[kantseeback]

They're about as opposite as you can get. Cassidy was totally serious, and Jack E Lee was a clown with all his nicknames.

Cassidy clowned around as well, remember HOLY MAKEREL?
And Quick Quack Quick to name 2.

[kantseeback]

I almost forgot Dave Johnson on the t bred side.

[gh2009]

What I remember about him most was, he looked like a nerd. I remember his call when Easy Goer won the Belmont because I had a good bet on him. I just think Jack E Lee made it too much about himself.

[kantseeback]

What I remember about him most was, he looked like a nerd. I remember his call when Easy Goer won the Belmont because I had a good bet on him. I just think Jack E Lee made it too much about himself.

Maybe Cassidy looked like that because before he was an announcer, he was a male model.

[JL52]

I mute Roger Huston for obvious reasons

I mute Warkentin because he is wildly inaccurate and is completely full of himself(Greenshoe Drawing Clear)

on the tbred side--i mute Chris Griifin at Aqueduct--his mid race predictions are almost always wrong

I mute Jessica Paquette at Parx because she mumbles her calls

all other announcers I leave the sound on--even the guy from Bangor

Papillon- I was watching Bangor last week. While I am not crazy about the announcer, he is acceptable. But I had to laugh when the teletimer malfunctioned and, in a totally serious tone, he called the quarter as the 24.2 that was posted, and the half in something like 52.4. That cost him a few credibility points, no?