Q&A w/ Travis Stone 🐎 🎤

Here I caught up w/ Travis Stone the voice of Churchill after the completion of Kentucky Derby 152. ⬇️

(C) So Travis Derby 152 is over. Now that you’ve had a couple of days to recover, what’s your first thought about the derby race?

(T) The Derby is on a heater in terms of amazing stories, drama, and excitement. I think the pace of the race certainly played a huge role, but that's horse racing!

(C) After the starting gate and the horses passed the finish line, Golden Tempo was dead last. How incredible was it for you to watch the horse make its comeback?

(T) After the half-mile time in the 46-range, I was surprised the race came apart like it did. And there weren't a ton of far turn moves, which surprised me as well. I think a lot of the runners were "no shows," if you will. In a race like the Derby, though, nothing surprises me.

(C) Turns out Renegade dang on near debunked the myth of being on the one spot. Your call of finding Renegade was outstanding. What emotions were going through you as you were finding the horses and making the calls?

(T) I just kept saying to myself: "Get through it!" One of my goals this year was to drop the binoculars more and get a macro-level view of the race, and that helped me with those outside movers. It also helped that Golden Tempo had those classic silks.

(C) There was quite the commotion right before the gates opened with Great White being scratched. Video surfaced online showing him slip and flip over. The worker quickly grabbed him, preventing further chaos from happening. How important in your mind is it to have folks like that on the grounds?

(T) Horses are impossible creatures to predict, and you just never know when they're going to freak out about something. The quick response was key, and the scratch was unnecessary, though unfortunate for his connections. That said, he sounds like a possible Preakness starter, so he'll get another chance.

(C) The Ortiz brothers finishing first and second is a perfect ending to yet another historic Derby. Wouldn’t you say?

(T) Yes, and I'm not surprised. They are an amazing talent, incredibly hard workers, and focused on being the best. I rarely see them in the wrong spot when calling races. If you run that race 100 times, I think they split the result nearly 50/50... perhaps with the slight edge to Irad. I'm happy for them.

(C) Viewership with NBC was at an all-time high. Would you say signs maybe point to the Derby moving to night prime time also?

(T) Well, if it was at an all-time high in terms of ratings, why mess with it? The Oaks has always had "more" upside in my opinion, which is why it worked so well there. I'd be surprised if a move was made, but I'm also nowhere near those discussions.

(C) Cherie DeVaux becoming the first female trainer in history to win the Derby is an amazing thing. But for me, what made it even sweeter was when she said “I’m just a trainer”. How important to you is it for someone to have the mindset she has to be successful?

(T) She has been an amazing ambassador for racing and has truly hit all the right notes since winning. But beyond that, she has always been a tremendous trainer. She understands horses, and her success is hardly surprising to anyone that has known her over the years.

(C) What was most surprising for you that happened over the Derby weekend?

(T) I didn't take any naps in the booth this year, which is a borderline miracle. I'm a horrible sleeper, and sometimes a 10-minute siesta between races can save the weekend. Haha.

(C) Jose Ortiz had quite the weekend winning both the Oaks and Derby, becoming only just the 9th jockey in history to accomplish such a feat. With him doing this, in your opinion, what does it say about his future in the business, given that he’s still so young?

(T) I think Jose is here to stay. He's now a Kentuckian, and we'll be hearing about him in the Derby for years to come.

(C) You’ve been calling races at Churchill for some time now. When you’re calling these big-time races, how do you stay involved and passionate with it when you’re working?

(T) It is sometimes hard to tap into the emotion and excitement now that I'm involved. It's a different level or flavor of anxiety now. But what pushes me forward is how everyone loves the Derby. The passion, excitement, and interest people show for this one race is motivating.

(C) Lastly, for someone out there being a novice when it comes to horse racing, what advice could/would you say to them to help get a better understanding of the sport that is horse racing?

(T) I have two pieces of advice: come out and see the horses and learn how to handicap. There is a connection with the horse humans have that is hard to describe. As for picking winners, the best part about racing is it rewards hard work, analysis, thought, etc. Learn how to become a handicapper. Don't be intimidated. Everyone started knowing nothing. There is no greater feeling than having your analysis yield a winning wager. You feel like you're on top of the world. I'd imagine only Cherie and Jose felt bigger highs this weekend.