ED BURGART, THE VOICE OF LOS ALAMITOS . . . AND HOLLYWOOD PARK
On Thursday, Dec. 14, Ed Burgart left for work at 6 a.m. and got home at
11:30 p.m. That's 17-and-a-half hours, enough to make most men kick the dog and
reach for the aspirin and a healthy shot of Jack Daniels.
Not Burgart.
"I loved it," said the 43-year-old track announcer. "I enjoyed all of it."
Aside from his professionalism and his solid, no-nonsense announcing of the races, Burgart's most refreshing trait might be his enthusiasm. For Burgart, no race is too unimportant and no detail too trivial.
Burgart, the voice of Los Alamitos Race Course since 1981, currently is pulling double-duty. He's also announcing the races at Hollywood Park, as Trevor Denman is on vacation until the beginning of the Santa Anita winter meeting on Dec. 26.
It makes for an incredibly drawn-out work day.
Take Thursday, for example:
6:30 to 9:30 a.m. (Los Alamitos) -- Finish comments for Saturday's program, create the morning line for Saturday's races, do a Saturday handicap for the Los Angeles Times.
9:30 to 10:15 (home) -- Eat a quick breakfast, and change clothes.
10:15 to 10:50 (commute to Hollywood Park) -- Burgart, who lives "a-mile-and- three-sixteenths" from Los Alamitos, drives to Hollywood Park which is some 25 miles Northwest of his home. He said his favored route is the 605 North to the 105 West.
11 a.m. (Hollywood Park) -- An elevator ride takes Burgart to the sixth floor. He hikes up a set of stairs to the roof, where the announcer's booth is located. He studies the Daily Racing Form over a cup of coffee and begins to mentally prepare for the task of calling nine races.
11: 30 a.m. (Hollywood Park) -- Broadcasts the first set of overweights and changes.
12 p.m. (Hollywood Park) -- Broadcasts the second set of changes.
12:30 to 4:45 p.m. (Hollywood Park) -- Calls the day's nine races. For Burgart, who is used to the five-furlong Los Alamitos oval, the most difficult adjustment is the mile-and-one-eighth main track. "Calling races here is a whole different rhythm," he said. "It isn't just the size of the track, although that is a major difference. At Los Al, everything is so close, and in (quarterhorse races) everything happens so fast . . . it's non-stop from the second the gate opens until they hit the finish line. Here, at Hollywood Park, everything you do builds up to the final quarter-mile. It's more like telling a story."
4:45 to 5:15 p.m. (Hollywood Park) -- Relax for a few minutes over a soft drink . . . and then it's off to Los Alamitos.
5:15 to 6 p.m. (commute to Los Alamitos) -- "I take the 105 East to the 605 South. But if traffic is bad on the 105, I'll exit onto the 710 South and take that to the 91 East ... "
6 p.m. (Los Alamitos) -- Traffic is relatively light, and Burgart is in the announcer's booth in plenty of time for the first simulcast event from Hawthorne Race Course.
7:15 to 11:10 p.m. (Los Alamitos) -- Calls the evening's 12 live races. "Actually, the races are a little tougher over here. In between races, I have to call KNX (Radio) with the results and I also have to call the 900 (telephone) line with the results. It isn't difficult, but it takes time. On the other hand, I'm much more familiar with the (jockeys) silks over here, so it's easier for me to prepare for a race."
11:30 p.m. (home) -- "I try to make it home in time to watch the replays (of the races) on Prime Sports . . . just kidding!"
BEST PAL PREPARES TO DEFEND NATIVE DIVER HANDICAP
Best Pal, the all-time leading California-bred earner and the three-time California-
bred Horse of the Year worked seven furlongs Friday in 1:26 2/5 in a prep for next
Saturday's $100,000-added Native Diver Handicap.
Best Pal is probable for the Grade III race, but an off-track could cause a change of plans. Golden Eagle Farm has also nominated Dramatic Gold to the race and that one could run if rain creates a sloppy or muddy track.
Golden Eagle Farm racing manager Gayle Van Leer said the plan is to run Best Pal, but added, "We nominated (Dramatic Gold) just to keep our options open."
In other Native Diver developments:
Alphabet Soup worked seven furlongs in 1:30 at Hollywood Park.
Early probables for the 17th Native Diver Handicap, to be decided at 1 1/8 miles on the main track: Alphabet Soup, Chris Antley; Best Pal, Chris McCarron, and Luthier Fever, no rider.
Possible: Argolid, Corey Nakatani; Caherdaniel, no rider; Cocooning, no rider; El Florista, Kent Desormeaux, and Nucay, no rider.
TWICE THE VICE WORKS AT SANTA ANITA PARK
Martin and Pam Wygod's Twice The Vice worked seven furlongs in 1:30 on the
main track Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, but trainer Ron Ellis said the Vice
Regent filly is doubtful for the $100,000-added Dahlia Handicap on Sunday, Dec. 24
Ellis has nominated three runners to the Dahlia -- Twice The Vice, Pirate's Revenge and Pharma-- but said Pharma is most likely to run in the Grade III event on grass.
Early probables for the 14th running of the Dahlia Handicap, to be decided at 1 1/16 miles on the turf course: Cox Orange, no rider; Didina, Eddie Delahoussaye; Dirca, Corey Nakatani; Onceinabluemamoon, Brice Blanc; Pharma, no rider; Rapunzel Runz, no rider; Real Connection, Rene Douglas, and Yearly Tour, Chris McCarron.
The Running Horse (http://www.isd1.com/alauck)