OPELOUSAS, La. –Evangeline Downs will celebrate its 50th season of racing when the 2015 season kicks off Wednesday evening. The meet will have a new track announcer, a new racing secretary, a revamped racing surface, a new track superintendent, and a new date for its signature event, the $300,000 Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint. The 84-day stand will run through Aug. 29 and will be conducted on a Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule. First post time is 5:40 p.m. Central. Michael Chamberlain is the new voice of Evangeline. Chamberlain, a native of New Jersey, comes to south Louisiana from Turf Paradise, where he was the announcer at the Phoenix track since 2008. “I think that Evangeline Downs has a tremendous future ahead, and I am looking forward to being an integral part of it,” Chamberlain said. :: Bet Evangeline Downs with DRF Bets. Get up to a $500 cash bonus! Find out more today. Chris Warren, director of racing at Evangeline and fellow Boyd Gaming property Delta Downs in nearby Vinton, La., said, “He brings a wealth of experience to the position, and his colorful race calls will add a lot to excitement for the fans.” Corey Veazey has been promoted to racing secretary at Evangeline. He replaces Warren, who had doubled in that position the last two seasons in addition to his role as director of racing. Veazey has worked at Evangeline for almost 10 years. He began his career in 2005 as a placing judge before taking over as the assistant racing secretary in 2009. Ramiro Flores will begin his first Thoroughbred season as track superintendent. Born in Guatemala, Flores joined the Evangeline team last fall for the track’s Quarter Horse season following his move from Turf Paradise. He also worked in California at Del Mar, Fairplex, and Golden Gate Fields. Flores had a busy off season over the winter as he oversaw the addition of more than 2,000 tons of fine sand to the Evangeline track surface. “There was a compacting issue with the old surface,” Flores said. “The track has put a lot of money into improving the surface. We think this will lay to rest some of the concerns some folks have had here in the past.” The Evangeline Turf Sprint, cornerstone of the 21-event, $1.9 million stakes schedule, is slated for Saturday, May 30. The new date is three weeks earlier than when the inaugural Turf Sprint was run last year. “Last year, the Turf Sprint program produced a huge crowd ontrack and garnered a large simulcast following from coast to coast,” said Steve Kuypers, vice president and general manager of Delta and director of Boyd Gaming Louisiana Racing. “We expect this year’s program to be even bigger and better as we have moved to the earlier date for the opportunity to attract more horses.” The other stakes on the Turf Sprint card, which will have a special first post time of 3:40 p.m., will be the $100,000 Opelousas Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, the $100,000 Evangline Mile on the main track, and a pair of Louisiana-bred stakes for 3-year-old sprinters, the $70,000 Lafayette for both sexes and the $70,000 Acadiana for fillies. Other season highlights include Louisiana Legends Night on July 4, which includes eight stakes restricted to Louisiana-breds, and the two divisions of the D. S. “Shine” Young Futurity on July 11.