Collmus takes up the reins as Churchill Downs' track announcer

Collmus takes up the reins as Churchill Downs' track

announcer

Collmus will join the legendary Anderson and Kentucky-born Battaglia as the only

announcers to provide the Kentucky Derby call for both the on-track audience and

the Derby's network television partner.

Along with his television duties as the NBC Sports voice of the Triple Crown and

Breeders' Cup, Collmus currently serves as track announcer for the premier

winter meet at Gulfstream Park and will continue those duties at the Hallandale,

Florida, track after he takes on his new post at Churchill Downs for the Louisville,

Kentucky,

track's spring, September and fall meets. Collmus has also called races for the

past 20 years at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey.

The Maryland native started his career as an assistant caller at Maryland tracks

at the age of 18, with his first on-track call coming in 1985 at Bowie Race

Course. Two years later he was hired as the track announcer at Alabama's

Birmingham Turf Club, and at 20 was the youngest announcer in the United States.

After a

year at the Alabama track, Collmus moved to Golden Gate Fields and spent four

years on the Northern California racing circuit before moving back to the East

Coast in 1992 to take the post of announcer at Massachusetts' Suffolk Downs. He

joined Monmouth Park in 1994 and worked a pair of winter seasons at New York's

Aqueduct in 2005 and '06 before he was hired to call the winter meet at

Gulfstream Park.

NBC Sports hired Collmus to be its voice of the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown

in 2011 following New York Racing Association (NYRA) announcer Tom Durkin's decision to

step down from that role. He added the Breeders' Cup Championships to his

television duties for NBC the following year.

"I am both thrilled and honored to become the voice of America's most famous

race track," Collmus said. "Having called the Kentucky Derby three times for NBC

Sports, I have experienced the magical ambience of Derby Day, and can't wait to

be a part of that for Churchill Downs. I am looking forward also to becoming a

part of this terrific city, which has an incredible passion for our sport.

"Although Churchill Downs is best known for the greatest two minutes in sports,

it's an amazing venue for great racing in the spring, September and fall, and

I'm excited about calling those races as well. I am very happy to continue my

roles as voice of the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup for NBC Sports, as well as

calling the races during Gulfstream Park's winter championship meet."

"We are very pleased to welcome Larry Collmus to Churchill Downs, where he will

take his place on the brief, but very distinguished and accomplished, roster of

announcers that have served as the voice of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks

and an ambassador for our historic track in a community and region that loves

racing like no other," Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery said.

"Larry long ago ascended to the highest ranks of his profession and has

developed a nationwide following through his work during the past three years as

part of the NBC Sports broadcast team for the Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown.

We are confident that racing fans in Louisville, the state of Kentucky and

throughout North America will embrace Larry in his new role as the voice of

Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, and that he will love living in a city

and state that mean so much to our industry's tradition and future.

"As Churchill Downs bids farewell to Mark Johnson, we wish him the very best

after five good years in the announcer's booth. He has witnessed and described

some fantastic moments at our track, and we know that many thrills await him in

future endeavors at tracks in Britain, the United States and around the world.

His knowledge of racing and dedication to his craft have made Mark one of our

sport's premier commentators, and we will undoubtedly be hearing his voice as an

important part of great racing meets at venues throughout the world for many

years to come."

Along with his national television work with NBC Sports, which included Kentucky

Derby victories by Animal Kingdom (2011), I'll Have Another (2012) and Orb

(2013) and last fall's riveting Breeders' Cup Classic finish that saw Mucho

Macho Man outlast the hard-charging Will Take Charge, Collmus' career highlights

include:

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