track announcer

Announcing duties at the inaugural season of Golden State Racing (GSR) in Pleasanton, California will be split between veterans Jason Beem and Bill Downes, with Beem calling the first four weeks and Downes calling the balance of the meet. The Golden State Racing season runs Oct. 19 through Dec. 15. "Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I've watched and enjoyed racing from California since I was a kid," said Beem, who has been calling since 2006 and is the current announcer for both Tampa Bay Downs and Colonial Downs. "I...

Track announcer John Imbriale has announced that he will retire following a 44-year career with the New York Racing Association. Imbriale's tenure with NYRA dates to 1979 when he won a New York Daily News contest, giving him the opportunity to call a race and work with the NYRA press office. In 1990, the Queens, New York native became Tom Durkin's backup and along the way, took on other responsibilities at NYRA by working with Harvey Pack on the Inside Racing program, and in a variety of roles within NYRA...

Monmouth Park has named Matt Dinerman the new track announcer for the 2024 racing season, which gets underway on Saturday, May 11. The 2024 Monmouth racing season runs through Sept. 15, after which Dinerman will take the mic at the Meadowlands for the all-turf, 10-day season in East Rutherford. "I'm delighted to be joining the team at Monmouth," said Dinerman, a 31-year-old native of California. "It's an honor to be selected as their next voice.  Monmouth is a beautiful racetrack with a large, enthusiastic fan base that supports great racing. ...

Tony Calo has been named the new track announcer at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming, Churchill Downs Incorporated announced Monday. The North California native, who replaces the departing Scott Shapiro, will continue to serve as the announcer at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in addition to a handicapping analyst at Churchill Downs. Aside from his duties as an announcer, Calo will join Joe Kristufek, Kaitlin Free and, newly-promoted handicapping analyst, Kevin Kilroy on the Churchill Downs simulcast feed for the Spring, September and Fall Meets. "I'm honored to become the...

Retired race-caller Dave Johnson has filed suit against streaming giant Netflix and some of its subsidiaries, alleging his voice and persona were used on an episode of the popular Netflix program 'The Crown' without his permission. Johnson is seeking compensatory and exemplary damages as well as equitable relief. The suit was filed in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. The allegations revolve around a show that aired on Nov. 9, 2022, which was the eighth episode of Season Five of 'The Crown'. The...

Oaklawn Jockey Club in Hot Springs named Matt Dinerman as the new track announcer for the upcoming Thoroughbred racing season, which begins December 8, the organization said in a release early Friday morning. Dinerman, 31, comes to Hot Springs following a six-year stint as the track announcer at Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley, California. He has also served as track announcer at the Sonoma County Fair meet in Santa Rosa, California, for the past two years. "I'm honored to be selected for such a prestigious role, following in the footsteps...

Veteran track announcer Vic Stauffer will take the microphone when Lone Star Park opens its Thoroughbred season Apr. 13 in Grand Prairie, Texas, the track's Brandon Leigh confirmed in a phone call Thursday. Stauffer was let go by Oaklawn Park earlier this month, a position he held since 2017. Lone Star's regular voice Jim Byers replaced him in the booth in Hot Springs, but is expected to return to Grand Prairie when Oaklawn's meet closes on Kentucky Derby Day. Stauffer will also join Rick Lee, morning-line oddsmaker and Rodney Nelson,...

Dustyn Stortzum, a Nebraska native, has been named the new track announcer to begin the 2023 Thoroughbred racing season at Fonner Park. Stortzum replaces Grand Island native Steve Anderson, who called races for 19 years at Fonner Park but passed away in 2022 after a battle with cancer. "I would like to thank my mentors, my parents and my sister for supporting me through all the ups and downs in my early broadcasting career," said Stortzum. "Without their support, I wouldn't be in this position today."

Beginning Dec. 26--Opening Day of Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet--fans will be able to meet and watch track announcer Pete Aiello call a race while helping to retrain, rehome and retire Thoroughbreds. For a $50 donation per person, up to six fans can watch Aiello call a race from the announcer's booth with the proceeds going to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). "The TAA is very grateful to the team at Gulfstream Park and Peter Aiello for this unique and fun way to raise funds and awareness for aftercare. We hope...

Parx track announcer Chris Griffin has been named the new track announcer at Monmouth Park starting with the 2023 meet that gets underway in May. Griffin, the back-up announcer at Monmouth Park since 2020, will replace Frank Mirahmadi, who is taking over as the track announcer at Saratoga next summer after eight years at Monmouth Park. Mirahmadi is also the track announcer at Santa Anita. The 41-year-old Griffin was also recently named the track announcer for the Aqueduct winter meet that runs from January through April. "We're pleased to have...

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...

Houston native Nick Tammaro has been named the new track announcer of Sam Houston Race Park. He will step into the role when the 50-day Thoroughbred meet gets underway Jan. 6 and will also call for the Quarter Horse meet, which begins in April. The 37-year-old Tammaro has been following racing since his first trip to Louisiana's Fair Grounds when he was six. He's been officially involved in racing for more than 13 years as a public handicapper, speed figure maker, and oddsmaker. He has competed eight times in the...