Denman’s award will be celebrated at the 55th annual Eclipse Awards at Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on January 22.
“What a wonderful way to end a 53-year career,” said Denman, “I am so honored to receive this award and will cherish it forever. I would like to thank Alan Balch of Santa Anita and Joe Harper of Del Mar for giving an unknown kid the opportunity to perform such prestigious numbers in 1983. I also thank all the fans for their tremendous support over the years. Thank you all!”
Born in Germiston, South Africa, Denman showed an early interest in racing as a practice driver, but realized his talents lay elsewhere, namely in the broadcast booth. He started calling races in South Africa in 1971 at the age of 18, and some time later he was noticed by Californian Bill Kolberg, who was in South Africa and picked up Denman’s race calls. When Santa Anita Park When looking for a new race caller, Kolberg gave race track officials a loud show of support for Denman, who was given an audition and passed at the age of 31. He began organizing races at the Oak Tree Meeting in 1983.
Despite his distinctive accent, Denman broke the mold of traditional race callers with a welcoming and innovative style. While most American announcers stuck to the basics of calling the specific order of the races and lengths in front of or behind horses during call points, Denman incorporated commentary and analysis into his race calls, providing clues to the crowd as to which horses were in good position and which horses were falling back. And he created a signature stamp at the gate break for each race with “And off they go.” He also incorporated slogan phrases such as “move like an express train!” and “they’ll have to grow wings to catch him.”
“What Claude Monet did for water lilies with a brush and canvas, Trevor Denman did for the thoroughbred with his voice and a microphone over the course of a more than 40-year career as a race caller on Southern California’s iconic race tracks,” said Craig Fravel, a longtime industry executive and current partner and senior advisor at Brown Advisory. “Those of us fortunate enough to have heard him work day in and day out at Del Mar, Hollywood Park, Pomona and Santa Anita were treated to the art of storytelling that captured the pace, drama and dynamics of a race from start to finish, even with your eyes closed. His iconic performances in the 1989 Preakness Stakes with Sunday Silence and Easy Goer and the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic, incredibly won by Zenyatta, will live on as perfect complements to the greatness of the equine athletes on the track. This is an award that is well deserved.”
At one point Denman called the races at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Seaand Pomona (Fairplex) during a productive annual schedule.
In 2009, while calling the Breeders’ Cup races for ESPN, he delivered one of his most memorable calls ever to an international audience as the great racemare Zenyatta came flying down the Santa Anita track in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), passing the horses one by one, and above the roar of the crowd, shouting, “This is unbelievable! Zenyatta! What an achievement, we will never forget it!”
Denman called the races at Santa Anita until 2015, and at Del Mar from 1984 to 2024. He announced his retirement from Del Mar on March 6, 2025.
“This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Denman told Del Mar publicists. “But my soul tells me this is the moment.”
Denman has been calling races for more than 50 years. In addition to his extensive stint in Southern California, he worked at tracks in the Bay Area and on the East Coast, calling the Breeders’ Cup races when ESPN had the TV rights to the championship event. He also provided phone calls in several racing films and dozens of television shows. He currently lives with his wife Robin on a 500-acre farm in rural Minnesota.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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