Voice of Belmont takes role seriously

When Birdstone caught and passed Smarty Jones in deep stretch of the Belmont Stakes four years ago, there was an unmistakable tone of despair and disappointment to race caller Tom Durkin's voice.

"Birdstone wins the Belmont Stakes," said Durkin, without exclamation.

It was the sixth time since Durkin made his first Belmont Stakes call in 1991 that a horse attempting to complete the Triple Crown had been denied. As unbeaten Big Brown takes aim at racing's greatest prize Saturday, Durkin once again is preparing himself for a momentous occasion.

Durkin said Wednesday in the announcer's booth at Belmont Park that every time a Triple Crown bid is foiled, "it makes it that much more tantalizing, the achievement that much more important."

Among previous failures, Durkin thought Real Quiet in 1998 was going to win "for sure," and that the year before, Silver Charm "looked like a winner until about 50 yards to go." Durkin also called Belmont losses for Charismatic (1999), War Emblem (2002), and Funny Cide (2003).

For this Belmont, Durkin has meticulously crafted what he calls "a framework," beginning with a four-page, typed outline of how he needs to proceed through his call for ontrack patrons and a worldwide television audience. Atop the outline, he has written that his goal is to "describe, chart, historically report, and convey the feelings of Big Brown's attempt to win the Triple Crown." He said he will "employ a tone to convey anxiety, anticipation, or joy, if that's what's required. It should be a tone to befit the historical importance of this race - no colloquialisms or idioms."

He said he will avoid repeating key words or phrases he used in previous Belmonts or when Big Brown won the Kentucky Derby or Preakness. "I won't use 'bounding' Saturday," he said. "I used it in the Derby."

Durkin said he will be prepared for virtually any scenario because, "after all, I'll call the race if Big Brown wins the Triple Crown - and I'll call it if he doesn't."