A DAY AT THE RACES

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted May 16, 2005)

Four quick reflections on the big Iroquois Steeplechase this weekend.

(1.) If you watched the Steeplechase on Channel 4.... or on those impressive Jumbo TV screens at Percy Warner Park.... you saw the end result of a symphony of sorts, played by dozens of “television musicians”.

My attached photo shows our director, Jay Hammond, playing the part of symphony conductor.

All afternoon, Jay sat before that bank of TV screens selecting images from 11 cameras placed around the track, and deciding just when to switch shots.

Our design director, Pete Kremer, was responsible for everything shown on the giant outdoor screens..... but during the actual races, he would -- for the most part -- defer to the camera shots picked by Jay.
And -- from what I saw -- nearly everyone attending the Iroquois actually watched most of each race on those big screens.

Selecting the camera shots during the heat of the races was much like conducting a symphony, and I hope Jay got a standing ovation when it was over.

(2.) For awhile, there was torrential rain, and -- when it stopped -- I witnessed something odd that seemed almost choreographed.

As the loud splatter of rainfall ended, the doors on the rows of porta-potties opened in unison, and -- like hermit crabs -- people emerged.
And they emerged with sort of military-like precision.
From now on, whenever it starts raining..... and people disappear..... I’ll know where they go.
And you might be surprised how many people can actually fit inside one porta-pottie when it's raining really hard.

(3.) At one point, Demetria and I had two unexpected guests on our little broadcast platform.
A young couple was escorted to our position, and we were told they would be our next interview guests.
Truthfully, we had no idea who they were, or what we were supposed to talk about with them.

As we scrambled for information, it became clear -- we didn't need to do any interviewing.
The young man wanted to propose to his girlfriend "on TV" at the Iroquois.
And, with the rain splashing around us, he proceeded to do just that.

(4.) For me, the funniest moment of the day came as the result of one misunderstood word.

Holly Thompson was chatting with a distinguished looking man about his fashion selection for the day, and -- after commenting on his clothes and hat -- she said, "You're bold!"

He misunderstood, and sheepishly removed his hat and said, "Uh, yes, I am bald".... wondering, no doubt, how Holly could possibly have known that -- and why she felt it necessary to announce it to the entire mid-south on television.

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