Grants Pass Downs names Michael Wrona track announcer for fall race meet

GRANTS PASS, Ore., Sept. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Grants Pass Downs has named Michael Wrona, one of the world's preeminent race callers, as track announcer for its fall race meet. Wrona will call all 14 race days scheduled for Grants Pass Downs' inaugural commercial race meet, scheduled Sept. 22 through Nov. 4.

Known throughout the industry for his signature "Racing!" call, Wrona began calling races in his native Australia at age 17 before coming to the U.S. in 1990 to take over as Hollywood Park's track announcer. Wrona has since amassed an impressive resume calling races at tracks around the country, including Santa Anita, Bay Meadows, Golden Gate Fields and the Sonoma County Fair in California; Chicago's Arlington Park; Retama Park and Lone Star Park in Texas; the Fair Grounds in New Orleans; Turf Paradise in Phoenix and Arizona Downs in Prescott; and the just completed 2019 meet at Kentucky Downs, which wrapped up on Sept. 12.

"I was invited to call a few races at Grants Pass Downs in July and was made to feel very welcome by all levels of this quality organization," said Wrona. "I'm excited to help launch a new era in Oregon racing as Grants Pass Downs acquires the license previously held by Portland Meadows. The ownership and management have great passion and vision for the track, which is in a beautiful area that I'll enjoy exploring."

"We're thrilled to welcome one of the best announcers in the sport to Grants Pass to help us kick off a new era of racing in Oregon," said Travis Boersma, president of TMB Racing, Grants Pass Downs' parent organization. "Michael is the perfect fit for this moment, and his unique calling style and raw enthusiasm for racing will only mirror the excitement we're seeing from the Grants Pass community heading into the fall meet."

Grants Pass Downs will kick off its first commercial race meet on Sunday, Sept. 22. Races will be held every Sunday and Monday through Nov. 4, with eight races scheduled per day and post times set for 1 p.m.

For questions about stall applications, terms, training schedules, or fees or regulations, please visit https://gpdowns.com/.

ABOUT GRANTS PASS DOWNS
Located at the Josephine County Fairgrounds, Grants Pass Downs has hosted live pari-mutuel horse racing since 1968 and is now home to the largest race meet in the state of Oregon. Grants Pass Downs is the only venue approved by the Oregon Racing Commission to host live commercial horse races in the state. The track's first commercial race meet will be held Sept. 22 through Nov. 4, 2019.

Media Contact:
Pete Johnson, FINN Partners
[email protected]
(503) 546-7880

SOURCE Grants Pass Downs

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