Former Chicago announcer Phil Georgeff dies

CHICAGO - Phil Georgeff, the renowned Chicago racing announcer, died Monday in Alabama.

Georgeff, 85, was born on Chicago’s West Side and began announcing at Arlington Park in 1957. His career spanned 35 years, and Georgeff called races at every track on the Chicago circuit: Arlington, Sportsman’s Park, Hawthorne, Balmoral Park, Maywood Park, and Washington Park. So synonymous with races here did his calls become that Georgeff was known as the voice of Chicago racing, or, sometimes, simply The Voice.

His catchphrase, “Here they come, spinning out of the turn,” was applied to all-time great horses like Secretariat, Dr. Fager, and John Henry. Georgeff called the first Arlington Million in 1981. He also was a self-published author.

Georgeff retired in 1992 to Fairhope, Ala., and is survived by his wife, Roberta, and son Scot. At Georgeff’s request, no funeral service will be held.