SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — There is no sound more synonymous with Saratoga Race Course than the 34-note “Call to the Post.”
This iconic bugle call signifies to fans throughout the track grounds that the next race will start shortly.
For the 2022 meet at the Spa, that tune is being performed by a new pair of horn players: Tony and Carson Gambaro.
The father-son duo is having a blast this summer as they fulfill this important duty, while entertaining track patrons in between races each day.
Hailing from the Saratoga Lake area, Tony is a trumpet player in the popular Saratoga Springs-based band Ten Most Wanted and his son Carson is a recent graduate of the broadcast and digital journalism program at Syracuse University, where he also played trumpet as a member of the Syracuse University Marching Band.
A few weeks ago, summer plans changed for the Gambaro men, when Tony received a phone call from Sam Grossman, also known as “Sam the Bugler,” who he knows through the local music scene.
Grossman was unable to play at the summer meet this year as he is facing some health complications, so he asked Tony if he might be interested in the high-profile trackside gig.
It was short notice. Tony was eager to take the job but knew he would have some scheduling conflicts due to his prior commitments with Ten Most Wanted.
As a solution, Tony proposed that his son could serve as an understudy on the days he couldn’t make it to the race course, and a deal was made.
“It just made sense,” Tony said, “and they liked the idea.”
On opening day of the season, Tony and Carson decided to play together, so they could both get a feel for the new gig – and the two buglers quickly became a hit with the crowds at Saratoga Race Course.
So, instead of playing solo, Tony and Carson are teaming up most days, sharing the spotlight as Saratoga’s unique father-son bugling duo.
“Us playing together wasn’t really the idea at first,” Tony explained, but nevertheless, “It’s been awesome.”
In between bugle calls, the guys explore the grounds in their matching red and white bugler outfits and perform different crowd-pleasing tunes for fans.
“The 34 notes are basically really serious – and then from there we get to just be ourselves, both my son and I, and walk around and talk to people,” said Tony, who is an entertainer at heart. “You want to bring smiles to people’s faces, and that’s really what it comes down to.”
He continued, “It’s part of the lore of Saratoga, I think. Sam developed that. He did a great job for a long time.”
The Gambaros are honored to be stepping into this role. “This is a huge deal for us, both my son and I,” Tony said.
Overall, it’s a great way to spend the summer. “We’re having fun,” Tony said. “People seem to be enjoying it, and we’re enjoying it.”
Whether he’s playing the Super Mario Bros. theme song for a child or some Sinatra for a group of old-timers, “I’ve always desired an environment where I could just play something that I want to play,” said Carson, who’s been playing trumpet since he was about nine or 10 years old.
As the season gets underway, Tony and Carson are tightening up their act. They’re working on new musical material. They’re improving their uniforms, and they’ve got a new pair of matching silver herald trumpets (which were previously played at the White House) coming soon.
The new buglers – either Tony or Carson or both Gambaros – can be heard every day of the 2022 Saratoga Race Course meet, which continues through Labor Day.
More information about Saratoga Race Course is available online at www.nyra.com.
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July 24, 2022 at 02:05AM
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