Terry Wallace, Oaklawn Park’s track announcer for 37 years, ended his record
streak of consecutive race calls at 20,191 Friday when he handed over the
microphone to Frank Mirahmadi for the 5TH race. Wallace, who was back in the
booth for the 6TH race, took advantage of Mirahmadi’s visit to the track and
enjoyed his very first Oaklawn race among the fans on the apron.
“For 37 years and counting I’ve had the best job in the world, calling races
at Oaklawn Park,” Wallace said. “I’m very comfortable in knowing that my record
isn’t going to be broken any time soon, so I’m thinking it might be fun to
experience the track I love so much from a different prospective. With that
said, I don’t plan on going anywhere for a while, but it is nice knowing I can
step out of the booth from time to time.”
“There is no better ambassador for Oaklawn Park than Terry Wallace,”
Assistant General Manager of Racing David Longinotti said. “We are very proud of
his accomplishment and felt that he deserved what most other racetrack
announcers have — a backup for emergencies. We also felt that by giving Terry
the opportunity to leave the booth every once in a while, we could utilize his
popularity with our fans in other ways.”
Mirahmadi, who currently calls the Northern California fair circuit, has been
retained as Oaklawn’s backup announcer for the 2011 season and was in town to
familiarize himself with the facility. He previously served as track announcer
at Hialeah Park and Louisiana Downs.
“It was an incredible honor to call a race at Oaklawn Park,” Mirahmadi
remarked. “Terry is legendary and one of the classiest people in horse racing.
This opportunity is most certainly one of the major highlights of my career.”
Oaklawn Park has submitted an application with the Guinness Book of World
Records because it is believed that Wallace’s 20,191 calls is a world record.
Wallace hit the 20,000th race call milestone with his call of the 3RD race on
March 25, 2010. The mayor at the time declared it “Terry Wallace Day” in Hot
Springs and he received congratulatory letters from Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe
and former President Bill Clinton, who was raised in Hot Springs.
Below are some comments from fellow track announcers when told about
Wallace’s streak ending:
Dave Johnson (Retired ABC Sports, New York Racing Association, The
Meadowlands)
“In my 46 years of calling races, I think the most consecutive races I put
together was a year or two…his record is amazing, and is a testament to the
commitment has given Oaklawn Park and our great sport. I have been a fan of
since he replaced Chic Anderson back in 1975. Now I bet horses, rather
than call them, and I join the legions of fans who salute Terry. He’s one
terrific race announcer, one of the all-time best.”
Tom Durkin (NBC Sports, New York Racing Association)
“I’d like to thank the people at Oaklawn, who 37 years ago promoted and gave
Terry the job because that opened a vacancy at a place then called Florida Downs
and allowed a young bum named Tom Durkin to get his first job calling races. I
remember him coming by and giving me advice, wishing me luck, and I was shaking
in my boots, but if it wasn’t for Terry and Oaklawn, I’d probably still be
putting grips on golf clubs.”
Mike Battaglia (NBC Sports, Turfway Park, previously Churchill Downs)
“This is what happens when you get old. You have to take a nap break in the
middle of the day. Seriously though, congratulations to Terry on a long run.
20,000+ in a row is something to be proud of.”
Note: It was Mike Battaglia’s father, John Battaglia, who gave Wallace one of
his very first announcing jobs at Latonia Racecourse in the fall of 1967.
Trevor Denman (ESPN, Santa Anita Park, Del Mar)
“Congratulations to Terry on a truly incredible milestone. He has been a
great credit to all of us in the announcing profession. A true master of his art
and a legend who will be admired for a very long time to come.”
Larry Collmus (Gulfstream Park, Monmouth Park)
“When someone says Oaklawn, the first thing that comes to mind is Terry
Wallace. Hopefully he has many more ‘here they come into the short stretch of
the mile runs’ left in the tank.”