Hall-worthy track announcer’s exit calls to mind difficulty of job

When track announcer Tom Durkin resigned as the voice of the Triple Crown for NBC Sports, it was a surprising moment. I have known Durkin since the early 1980s when he called the races at the Meadowlands. He remains the vibrant voice of the New York Racing Association tracks.

The 60-year-old Durkin made his decision in late April based upon his health. Calling any horse race is a difficult job, much less the stress from a 20-horse field in the Kentucky Derby for a national TV audience.

If they ever start inducting announcers into racing's Hall of Fame, Durkin is a surefire first-ballot inductee. His plaque will note his fine work calling the Breeders' Cup for 22 years and the Triple Crown for a decade.

Durkin also will be remembered for leaving the national stage while at the top of his game. He might have been swayed to some degree after hearing the poor call of this year's Arkansas Derby by former Oaklawn Park announcer Terry Wallace.

Wallace, who just retired after a three-decade career at Oaklawn, had a difficult time calling the Arkansas Derby. Still, he should be remembered for 30-plus years of stellar work rather than one aberration on his resume.

I have the utmost respect for track announcers, having tried to learn the craft. Many years ago, I would go up to a high perch at Aqueduct and call races into a tape recorder. Then-NYRA announcer Marshall Cassidy gallantly tried helping me, but quite frankly I couldn't do it.

It's not easy. Try calling a six-horse field off a TV monitor. Remember the names and the color silks of each horse. Then just as quickly forget them and repeat the process for the next race. Do that eight or nine times a day. It's incredibly hard.

I was thrilled with the work Larry Collmus did on the NBC broadcasts in replacing Durkin. I met Collmus before he even called his first official horse race. He learned his craft the right way. Accuracy first, embellishment second. Now it's his turn to be rated among the best track announcers in the sport.

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Richard Eng's horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.