# Question for horse racing folk **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429 "2004-07-16T15:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bodswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@bodswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodswood)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/1 "2004-07-16T15:30:11Z")
Last year I visited Ellis Park Racetrack, a small track near Henderson, Kentucky. Before each race a little man stood by the winning post and played that tune from Seabiscuit on his bugle. You know the one: da-da-da-daa-da-da, daa-da-da-da, daa-da-da-daa. My question is actually twofold: do all racetracks feature a little man (or woman) like this - rather than a recording - and does that tune have a name? ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/2 "2004-07-16T15:46:22Z")
AFAIK the bugle call is always played live. It is known as the “Call to the Post” but I don’t know that it has any other name. ---
**Author:** ![bodswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@bodswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodswood)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/3 "2004-07-16T15:49:01Z")
Thanks. I must say it added a dash of colour to proceedings. Actually, now I come to think of it, the bugler played a different ditty before one or two of the races. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/4 "2004-07-16T16:12:00Z")
If it’s the tune I’m thinking of, it’s played as a recording at New Zealand racetracks. Something traditional, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/5 "2004-07-16T17:17:46Z")
I think some tracks might have a recorded call to the post, but I’ve never seen one. In Kentucky, we tend to be traditional about such things, to the point that Keeneland didn’t have a track announcer until the very late 90’s. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/6 "2004-07-16T18:15:52Z")
> [@bodswood](#): > > …that tune from Seabiscuit on his bugle. You know the one: da-da-da-daa-da-da, daa-da-da-da, daa-da-da-daa… Not trying to pick on you or anything, but this cracked me up. I’ve heard that bugle call so often and enjoyed watching so many races in my life since a very young age, that seeing it refered to as “that tune from Seabiscuit” is nothing less than surreal. ---
**Author:** ![bodswood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@bodswood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bodswood)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/7 "2004-07-17T01:56:48Z")
Well, I was being a bit facetious, so I’m glad you picked it up. It’s like when my daughter was really into Westlife (an Irish band that plays covers) and I told her that “I Have a Dream” was first played by another group, Abba. She resolutely refused to believe me. Abba must have borrowed it from Westlife coz she heard them sing it first. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-horse-racing-folk/255429/8 "2004-07-17T06:33:38Z")
According to [this site](http://www.discoverynet.com/~ajsnead/patriotic/usasongs.html), it’s a military bugle call dating to the Civil War, also known as “First Call” or the “Assembly of the Buglers”.