Collmus brings in plenty of experience as he takes over for Denman
?q=100)
Preparations for opening day of a race meeting takes many forms.
For track announcer Larry Collmus, who will describe the action at the Del Mar summer meeting that begins on Friday, there is the daily behind-the-scenes approach of marking a program page on an iPad with the colors of silks to better identify runners.
Then, there are unconventional ways to be ready, such as helping friends that manage the photo-finish system check the cameras earlier this week. Collmus volunteered when the team needed someone to run past cameras on the main track and turf course to mimic horses reaching the finish line.
Collmus played the role of a horse, albeit a slow one.
“We must have done 100 of them,” he said. “They were 20 yards each.
“We started on the turf course. They had me do different lanes. You have to repeat it so it timed out perfect.”
With that, the photo-finish system was declared ready for Friday’s first race at 2 p.m. Pacific. Collmus will be in his position, atop the stands, ready to describe the action.
The Maryland native is no stranger to Del Mar, having called autumn meetings there since 2020 and the summer meeting in 2020. Collmus gained the full-time position earlier this year after Trevor Denman announced his retirement.
Denman began at Del Mar in 1984 and called his final meeting last summer.
Collmus, well known as a race commentator on NBC during Breeders’ Cup and Triple Crown races, said he has been in touch with Denman via email, and that the legendary announcer has been “supportive.”
Having experience at the venue, such as knowing the sightlines from the announcer’s booth, is a benefit, Collmus said.
“The fact that I’ve called so many races from that booth will be a big help,” he said. “It takes some of the newness out of it.
“It’s unusual to have a new job that you’ve already done before.”
Collmus has a history of following famous announcers. He took over the network commentary from Tom Durkin in 2011.
“Following Trevor is a tough task,” he said. “I did it before when I followed Tom Durkin.”
Collmus, 58, was the announcer at the 2020 Del Mar summer meeting, a season Denman took off at the height of the pandemic. That summer, the races were closed to the public.
Collmus described the action to an at-home audience. Friday’s opening day atmosphere will be different.
The first race of the meeting, which starts in front of the stands, is annually met with a hearty cheer. Denman started his commentary of the opening race with the familiar refrain of “There’s the roar from the crowd.”
The tradition may continue.
“I might keep it going,” Collmus said.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.