In the wake of his call of the historic Triple Crown win of American Pharoah last year, NBC has signed Larry Collmus to a five-year extension keeping him solidly in place as the Voice of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Belmont. Since he joined NBC in 2011, Collmus has certainly had some close calls including I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Califoria Chrome in 2014, but nothing can match the historic run of American Pharoah.

Collmus who is the horse track announcer for the New York Racing Assocation at Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga as well as Gulfstream Park in Florida replaced the legendary Tom Durkin who was NBC’s original race-caller.

In addition to calling the Triple Crown, Collmus will also announce the Breeders’ Cup and he says he’s happy to be remaining at NBC to be on hand for more races, “Calling the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup for NBC has been the thrill of a lifetime,” Collmus said. “For me to know I’ll have the privilege of calling racing in the future is just fantastic.”

Collmus’ voice rose in anticipation of American Pharoah’s victory and he told the Associated Press, “Nothing in my race-calling career could every compare to that.”

His call of “And here it is! The 37-year wait is over! American Pharoah is finally the one! American Pharoah has won the Triple Crown!” will live next to Chic Anderson who called Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed in the 1970’s.

In case you want to relive the 2015 Triple Crown and Collmus’ calls in all three races, look no further:

Before Collmus came aboard with NBC, his claim to fame was the “My Wife Knows Everything! The Wife Doesn’t Know!” race at Monmouth Park in 2010. But it’s safe to say that Collmus’ call of American Pharoah has pretty much erased that and put it to bed for good.

[Associated Press]

About Ken Fang

Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.

He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.

Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.