John G. Dooley, a fixture in the announcer's box at numerous Midwest tracks, has been tabbed to replace Bill Downes as the voice of racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis Race Course, the former Indiana Grand Racecourse. Eric Halstrom, the vice president and general manger of the track, revealed the news in a tweet Friday afternoon.
A native of Staten Island, New York, Dooley graduated from St. John's University on Long Island and served as an intern at the Meadowlands and at the New York Racing Association before accepting his first announcer's job at Thistledown in 1991. After five years at the Cleveland-area oval and after calling the winter meet at Aqueduct in 1996 and 1997, Dooley relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and was on the mic at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie from 1997-1999.
He got his major break in the year 2000 when he was given the nod to take over announcing duties at Arlington Park when the track reopened following a two-year closure. Dooley brought the curtain down on racing at Arlington this past September.
In 2004, Dooley added the Fair Grounds to his portfolio and has called the races in New Orleans ever since. The 2022 racing season at Horseshoe Indianapolis, highlighted by the GII Indiana Derby in July, begins Apr. 19.
Made my way to New Orleans to make it official…@JohnGDooley will be the new Announcer @HSIndyRacing We're lucky to have John as he's an A+ race caller and an A+ guy. Will fit in very well with our Team. Opening day April 19th! @RacingRachelM @HSIndyTammy pic.twitter.com/NmPZDTgtue
— Eric Halstrom (@ericahalstrom) February 4, 2022
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