Larry Collmus, the voice of US racing in his role as race caller for NBC Sports, answers the questions
Larry Collmus is the voice of US racing, adding words to the drama of the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup in his role as NBC Sports race caller.
Baltimore-born Collmus, 55, got his first break aged 18, calling his first race at Bowie Race Track in Maryland. He was assistant announcer there and other tracks in the state, including Laurel Park and Pimlico before in 1987 becoming the youngest announcer in the country when he started calling the races in Birmingham, Alabama.
After a spell at Golden Gate Fields, he was back east in 1994 working at Monmouth Park, coupled with stints at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park until 2011, when he took over from Tom Durkin in the NBC booth. A five-year contract to succeed Durkin for the New York Racing Association followed.
Collmus is due to call the final leg of this year’s Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, on June 11. He is also the race caller at Kentucky Downs works throughout the year as on-air talent for TVG.
Which racing figure past or present do you most admire?
That’s a tough one. There are many, but the one that comes to mind is Frankie Dettori. I’ve never had the opportunity to meet him other than in passing but have admired him for years. He’s been a tremendous ambassador for racing for decades. I remember watching a soccer match on TV one day and they showed a crowd shot.
The announcer said ‘There’s Frankie’. What other person in our industry would be that recognizable that the announcer needed to mention only his first name? He carries himself with such professionalism and with a certain panache which makes him special. I love the Frankie leap after a victory.
Which is your favorite venue and race anywhere in the world?
If you had asked me that question a few years ago it would have been an easy answer for me. It would be Saratoga. It’s harder for me to say that now, since I broke up with the organisation that runs it after calling the races there for five years, but it is truly a special place. There’s a certain aura about it. When you walk onto the grounds you get a sense of its great history. The quality of racing there is tremendous, but even better are the fans that attend the track. When I was the announcer there, I would walk the grounds before the first race every day and stop by and talk to the fans, take photos, etc. It was great. The city is electric during the racing season as well. It is a terrific experience.
As far as a single race, it’s hard to top the Kentucky Derby. It’s easily the most famous race in the US and getting to call it every year is truly mind-blowing. From my first one, Animal Kingdom in 2011, to the present the nervous excitement never goes away. The palms sweat and the heart rate goes up as the horses approach the starting gate. There’s no other race that makes me feel like that. The race itself is a blur and there’s a huge sense of relief when it’s over. It sounds like a harrowing experience, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Who is your favorite racehorse and why?
There’s no horse that can beat American Pharoah as my favorite horse. It wouldn’t be possible because he gave me the thrill of a lifetime. When I was 18 years old and starting my announcing career, I could never have imagined I would be the guy on the microphone calling the first Triple Crown winner in 37 years. In fact, it was actually 30 years and one day from my first race call to American Pharoah’s win in the Belmont Stakes.
What is your fondest memory in racing?
Besides getting to call American Pharoah’s Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup Classic wins, the other moment that stands out was when he came to Saratoga for the Travers, I asked Bob Baffert whether I could meet him, as I never really got the chance during the Triple Crown.
Watch Larry Collmus call American Pharoah's Belmont at NBC Sports
I came to the barn the day before the Travers and Bob brought Pharoah over to where the photographers and reporters were standing and he handed me Pharoah’s lead and walked away. There I was holding the Triple Crown winner, and I’m not a hands-on horse person by any means. Pharoah was so calm and laid back. It was an amazing experience.
If you could change one thing in racing, what would it be?
The sport has changed so much since I started out in the 1980s as a fan. My friends and I grew up in Maryland and we would travel from track-to-track all over the east coast to go to live racing. The tracks would be full of people, great characters, and there would be a buzz. The atmosphere was tremendous. With the advent of simulcasting and now ADWs, there’s less reason to go to the track. It’s easier to stay home and bet. With a few exceptions, track grandstands are empty.
I wish we could see a turnaround in live attendance and be able to sell that on-track experience, because there’s nothing like being there for live racing and seeing the horses and jockeys up close.
Larry Collmus was speaking to Jon Lees
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