"They're off in the Kentucky Derby!"
The first Saturday in May brings those famous words to our ears every year. It's part of the long tradition from the longest-running sporting event in America –– with 2023 bringing us the 149th Kentucky Derby.
So the words are familiar, the event is familiar, the clothing is familiar and that iconic voice –– also familiar. Who is behind the microphone for those two minutes of racing? Who serves as the soundtrack for one of the biggest events on the sports calendar?
It's often said that an announcer isn't why someone tunes in to watch an event, but the voice of the Kentucky Derby is certainly worth listening to.
MORE: Who will win the Kentucky Derby? Horses, odds, expert picks & more for 2023 Triple Crown race
The Sporting News introduces you to the voice of the Triple Crown on NBC, Larry Collmus.
Who is Larry Collmus?
The year was 2011 and the calendar was fixated on April, begging for a switch to May. As the story goes, Collmus settled into his normal routine, ready to call a horse race in Hallandale, Florida.
There have been countless songs written and other touchstones in pop culture that revolve around one moment. One phone call. Rarely do we ever believe that is something that will happen to us.
For Collmus, his dream was on the other side of that phone call. An NBC executive offered him the position to call the Kentucky Derby since the previous announcer –– Tom Durkin –– was stepping down. The rest is history. Ever since that April day, Collmus has been the voice of the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup World Championships on NBC.
Collmus started calling races in 1985 at the age of 18 as an assistant before becoming the nation's youngest horse racing announcer in 1987 after landing a gig in Alabama. The announcer bounced around a bit before shifting to a major summer racing circuit in 1994. Collmus was named the announcer at Monmouth Park in New Jersey –– which later led to him being named the race caller at Churchill Downs in 2014. Since then, he's been the official on-track and on-air voice of the Kentucky Derby.
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Larry Collmus race calls
Throughout his career, Collmus has enjoyed a front-row seat to history –– calling the historic Triple Crown wins by American Pharoah and Justify, among many other great races.
In 2022, Collmus was the voice of Rich Strike's improbable win as the second-biggest longshot to take the Derby. NBC's YouTube channel had a behind the scenes look in the booth as the race unfolded to its unlikely conclusion.
Despite being known for those moments, Collmus might be best known for a hilarious race at Monmouth Park in 2010 between the horses, "My Wife Knows Everything" and "The Wife Doesn't Know."
You can check out more of Collmus' best moments in the booth down below.