Mark Johnson - The English Voice of the Kentucky Derby

WITH his arrival “the voice of the Kentucky Derby” was given an English accent, while Trevor Denman’s South African tone is part of the Breeders’ Cup. These are changing times in horseracing, right from the track surfaces up to the caller’s booth at the top of the grandstand. No doubt, calling races has become an international profession, and why not. If a man can do a good job at Newmarket or Stratford-on-Avon in England, he will probably do a good job also at Churchill Downs. Without having done any research on the subject, it is my guess that Johnson is the most versatile of all racecallers in this world. Having started off at point-to-point meets, which are amateur races over fences, in England, he became the first man to have called both the great Grand National steeplechase in England and the Kentucky Derby, and it is a fair bet that he will, for some time to come, be the only one to have Churchill Downs on a résumé already including Aintree – where the Grand National is contested – and Epsom, home of the English Derby. His passion for the sport shows a mile off and is heard even further away, while his interest in North American racing goes back a long way. “It has been my lifelong ambition to call at a major venue in the U.S.A.,” Johnson reflects, “but when I applied for this job [at Churchill] I did agree with bookmakers in Las Vegas as they chalked me up at 33-1 to actually get it.” However, and perhaps for a change, the bookies did not know enough about the form. After a two-week trial in competition with four other callers, Johnson was offered the job and, in his own words, “thought about it for about five seconds before accepting.” It meant reorganizing his life somewhat, with three long spells in Louisville and the rest of the year in England, where his wife Catherine is still based. “It suits us well,” Johnson says, “I am very fortunate, as I get the best of both worlds. I have my cake and eat it too. Last spring, I married Catherine and I got my dream job. It must have been the best year of my life!” The enthusiastic Johnson has some observations on his job, his input to a raceday in the U.S. compared to in the UK and racing in general: “Firstly, one thing I really enjoy at Churchill Downs is that I am being used more, my homework is being put to much better use,” he explains. “I am part of the handicapping team with Jill Byrne, and racecallers here also get the chance to inform the public much better during the post parades, and as we greet every winner back in the winners’ circle. No race is too small to make a bit of fuss about the winner and its connections. What happens before and after each race is important, in my view.” For instance, in England, unlike in North America, the runners go directly to the start from the saddling paddock, says Johnson. “Often they don’t even canter past the stands but disappear around the bend across to the backside. People do not get to see the horse move. Racing is so much more consumer driven in the U.S., and, as ‘the voice,’ all callers are part of it. For example, I also write on Twitter [username: churchillmark] between races, from my booth, and I am part of the simulcasting show. I give selections between races. Do I bet? Yes I do, but not when I am working, it just becomes distracting. Remember, racecallers probably come better prepared than anybody to each raceday, so why not use us in the same way also in Britain? At Churchill I am provided with all the tools to give the public, on track and off track, good information; back home [in England] I am not.” He still sounds totally British of course, but when he travels back to work in England, many of his phrases are very North American these days. The British public now often hear lines like “he sits five off the speed” and this is just one of many lines new to them. One has heard no complaints. In a way, the racecallers are probably the best equipped to provide explanatory links between racing jargons on both sides of the Atlantic. After all, when you are being told a horse is five off the speed and you see he is five lengths behind the leader, you get it. Equally when you get the description ‘running in snatches’ about a horse you see racing in a kind of a ‘stop-start-manner’ you will understand. You will learn, and it will be easier to follow, and appreciate, global horseracing. Johnson is quite right. This must be a no-brainer. Use the racecallers more, more, more, in promoting horseracing. Johnson already considers himself as part of the family at Churchill. “One of the vice presidents here suggested I should come out early and get to know the horsemen and others at Churchill before my first meet,” he tells us, “and that was a great piece of advice. I love the mornings when I am out with my coffee watching horses work, and I feel that I get on really well with the racing office, trainers, jockeys, agents, owners and stable staff.” Johnson was himself an assistant trainer in England before taking up racecalling and TV presenting full time. Does his background help? “One would hope so,” he says. “Having worked with horses makes one understand and appreciate all the hard work that goes into every barn. Everyone involved in horseracing should try to connect with the horsemen and women. People like Dale Romans, Kenneth McPeek, Calvin Borel and his agent Jerry Hissam have all been very supportive and helpful. Borel did not mind too much when I gave him the nickname ‘the paint stripper’ and people seem to enjoy a racecaller that tries to add some color. All Calvin said was that he had been called worse things, by the way. He’s a great guy, still mucking out when his brother needs a hand.” Johnson feels that U.S. trainers have “a bit more power” than what seems to be the case in England. “Let me use the word ‘power’ in a nice kind of way,” he stresses, “and what I mean by that is that they are being consulted more by the track management and in particular by the racing secretary, who writes races to suit what horses are on the grounds for each meet.” Perhaps it would be a good idea for racetracks in European regions to emulate North America and ensure that they have races that suit locally based runners, although because most of the trainers are within walking distance of the racing secretaries’ offices – unlike in Europe – the task is naturally easier in North America. “Of course it is,” Johnson says. “The fact that trainers are based [at the track] has many positive effects. There is more of a team spirit in U.S. racing circles.” What can racing on the two continents learn from each other? “Lots of things,” Johnson says, “and communication is the key.” He is himself a great communicator, as well as a wellknown TV presenter on Racing UK – which is the British version of HRTV or TVG – where his expertise is international racing. “I have also done some point-to-point shows,” he tells us. A few days after our talk Mark Johnson is off to call the races at Tweeseldown pointto-point (comparable to the High Hope Steeplechase at the Kentucky Horse Park), the track where it all began back in 1986. “It is not well paid but I love it,” he explains with a big smile. “In fact, my last job in England before the Kentucky Derby meet last year was at a point-to-point, on the day after I had been part of the Grand National commentary team.” Arriving at Churchill, with a bit of a jetlag, a few days after having been to a point-to-point, amateur steeplechasing out on a field, must have felt like landing on a different planet. Racecallers must be adaptable. Returning to the subject of comparing North American and European racing, Johnson continues: “I feel that there are too many handicaps in England; racecourses should be able to copy some of the U.S. style conditions, with ‘non-winners of two’ and so on. That way the horses can graduate naturally, without the trainers having to worry about handicap ratings.” Horses in England receive official ratings from the handicapper and compete in races graded for their level. “Handicaps are fine, but not too many. “One type of races I would simply ban are the selling races. They have no function, but are just another way for the courses to make some money.” The winner of a selling race is auctioned off when it returns to the winners’ circle; if an owner is looking to give his horse an easy win over low-quality competition, he is frequently the highest bidder in the aftermath. “The whole concept is so heavily in the favor of the owners, and nice winners are always bought back in. Sellers have no place in modern racing, in my opinion, and I also like the U.S. claiming races better – as horses must be claimed before the event, not after the race. Let both sellers and buyers take a gamble.” Touching on betting products, Johnson quickly confesses that “the Pick 4 is my favorite wager, it offers good value. Many of the exotic bets in America make wagering on horseracing a thinking man’s game. In England punters are obsessed with the fixed odds markets, where they can take a price. Ante-post betting is popular, and the Kentucky Derby Future Wager is a great idea here at Churchill. More diverse types of betting products make betting more interesting. But they must also be affordable. For example, I have never played the Scoop6 in England, as the minimum stake is £2 ($3) per line. That does not give the small players much of a chance.” The Tote Scoop6 is a variation of the Pick 6 wager. It’s contested only on Saturdays and spread across six races at different televised racetracks, with an extraordinarily large pot, often in the vicinity of £500,000 (more than $750,000). Carryovers of £1,000,000 ($1.5 million) are commonplace, and winners have the opportunity to pick a bonus winner the following Saturday for an even more lucrative payout. “Some courses in the U.S. have 50 cents as the minimum for their Pick 6, also for Pick 4 wagering, and it creates huge pools. I can’t see why the Tote in England can’t operate a Pick 4, and if they decide to one day make sure all races are at the same “Racing is so much more consumer driven in the U.S., and, as ‘the voice,’ all callers are part of it. For example, I also write on Twitter [username: churchillmark] between races, from my booth, and I am part of the simulcasting show” MARK JOHNSON ISSUE 16 TRAINERMAGAZINE.com 61 course, that is very important.” A racecaller’s job is very different, in so many ways, on opposite sides of the pond. A day at Newmarket or Ascot typically has six races, sometimes seven or eight, while North American tracks often put on a tenrace card. “We have up to 13 races at Churchill, which means a lot of homework and a tough day for me,” Johnson says. “It may seem long but I believe in this concept, as it makes going racing more of a ‘flexible day out’ if you like. With three Pick 4s on each day there is something for everyone. People arrive after race two or three, some go home after the feature, which may be race eight or nine. If you want to play the Jackpot in England, you must be there for race one. How many make it to the first race at Windsor on a Monday night?” Which could also be phrased, how many people make it to the first race at Turfway Park on a weeknight? How much does a racecaller have to adapt to racing at different surfaces? “Not as much as he has to adapt to the layout of the course, and the distance of the race,” Johnson says. “For me the main thing is that it is a fair track. Churchill Downs is very fair, and the dirt track is also regarded as one of the safest tracks in the world. That means a lot to me. If you ask me what races I enjoy the most the answer is the routes. I really like races over 1 1/16 miles plus. When the race starts right under the Twin Spires you get a feel and a flow, it becomes natural to get into the action and I feel my commentary benefits from this.” An aspect of European racing Johnson hopes will be adopted into North American racing is programs showing colored jockey silks. “I don’t mind too much,” he says. “I always do my own color sheets anyway when I prepare, but silks in the program is obviously consumer friendly. One thing I would like to see, however, is fewer color changes. Shippers often arrive without their own silks, and run in the house colors. Perhaps owners and trainers could take a bit more pride in running in their own colors.” How about the stars, the ‘wow experiences,’ did he have many of those in his first year at Churchill? “Quite a few,” Johnson says and first and foremost thinks back to the Kentucky Oaks. “Calling Rachel Alexandra home was a great thrill, as was calling Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel in the Derby.” Looking ahead, Johnson admits to having a soft spot for the Dale Romans-trainee Lost Aptitude, a three-year-old son of Jockey Club Gold Cup winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Aptitude. Johnson says: “When he won the Grand Canyon [Handicap] I immediately got the feeling that he was a serious horse. He ran too freely in the Fountain of Youth and perhaps he will always be a turf horse. He corners so well, I would not be surprised to see him develop into a strong contender for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile.” The Breeders’ Cup is some way off, and 33-1 is certainly the minimum you would want if placing a future wager on Lost Aptitude for the BC Turf Mile. If you do, make sure not to tell the bookmaker the tip came from Mr. Johnson, however as some of those guys in Vegas may remember this 33-1 shot all too well. Those he may have cost money are consistently reminded of Mark Johnson’s existence. And as they say, “that ain’t gonna change any day soon.”

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Geir Stabell (14 April 2010 - Issue Number: 16)

PROFILEWebmaster14 April 2010Mark Johnson, Churchill Downs, Breeders Cup