By Bloodhorse.com
DEL MAR, Calif. (June 4, 2021) — Trevor’s back.
Del Mar announced June 3 that Trevor Denman, the iconic racing commentator who called every race at the seaside oval from 1984-2019, will return to the track’s roof for the 2021 season after sheltering in place throughout 2020 at his rural Minnesota farm as he and his wife Robin rode out the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are very keen to get back to Del Mar,” Denman recently wrote in an e-mail to a track official.
And Del Mar fans will get to hear the 68-year-old South African expatriate again when racing begins anew at the seaside oval on Friday, July 16.
Del Mar notes that when Denman first brought his unique style to Southern California in the 1980s, he quickly went about reshaping racetrack calls nationwide. With his understanding of the scene unfolding in front of him (he’d tried a stint as a rider early on), he was capable of “describing” the race lyrically instead of simply using the staccato style of position and margin that most U.S. callers employed. He painted a picture of the contest and was able to pick up early on late closers or tiring front-runners to allow for more drama in his deliveries.
The award-winning caller initially spun his racing tales at Santa Anita Park and Del Mar, then also took on assignments at the now-closed Hollywood Park and Fairplex Park, giving him a year-round circuit that was lucrative, but taxing. Starting in 2016 he cut back his assignments to Del Mar. The rest of the year he spends at his 500-acre farm amidst its clean air and starry nights.
“It (was) time to stop counting dollars and to start counting the stars,” Denman said of the reduced schedule.
Denman will call the track’s 31-day summer season, return to his Minnesota digs, and then come back to Southern California again in time to add his dulcet tones to the track’s 15-day fall stand starting Wednesday, Nov. 3. This year Del Mar’s second session, known as the Bing Crosby Season, will include the hosting of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 5 and 6.