Stauffer living his dream as track announcer

In the revolving door that was the track announcer's job at Hollywood Park, Vic Stauffer entered the building in 2001 and slammed

the door behind him.

When the iconic Harry Henson retired in 1982 after calling

races at the Inglewood, California, track since 1959, numerous track announcers went behind

the microphone until Stauffer settled in the big chair.

There is no official list, but Kip Hannan and Roger Roman,

keepers of the massive Hollywood Park video archive, have assembled a best-guess

tabulation of all track announcers who have called at least one race at the

historic track:

Joe Hernandez, Hal Moore, Harry Henson, Ralph Siraco, Bine

Masters, Milo Perrins, Don Alexander, John Hernandez, Frank Mirahmadi, Jonathan

Horowitz, George Ortuzar, Craig Ingram, Jim Byers, Alan Buchdahl, John Tapp,

Michael Wrona, Trevor Denman, Luke Kruytbosch, Gary Henson, Ed Burgart and Chris

Kotulak.

Stauffer, 54, was hired by former Hollywood Park President

Rick Baedeker. He's proud of the fact that he has become the third longest

tenured announcer behind Moore and Henson. For Stauffer, landing the job was a

dream come true.

"I remember when I was 16 and listening to (Harry) Henson

on the apron at Del Mar," Stauffer recalled. "I knew it was the only thing I

wanted to do. It's an incredible gift to know what you want as a teenager and be

right."

Stauffer got his first official job as a back-up announcer

at Garden State Park in 1985, the year Spend a Buck won the Jersey Derby. His

first full time position was at Detroit Race Course and he went on to work at

Blue Ribbon Downs, The Woodlands, Ak-Sar-Ben, Hawthorne, all the Northern

California Fairs, Yakima Meadows, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream Park and

Hialeah.

It sounds difficult moving around so much, but it wasn't

for Stauffer.

"When I was leading a nomadic lifestyle and hopping around,

I loved every second of it," he said. "I got to come to the races every day and

call races, which I was always wanted to do.

"Don't get me wrong, it's wonderful to have the stability.

If it were the major leagues, I'd love to be at Yankee Stadium. But I'm like

Crash Davis (the main character from the 1988 film 'Bull Durham'), I'm happy to

play in Triple A."

His traveling days haven't exactly ended. Stauffer lives in

Marin County, in Northern California, with his wife, Tina, and commutes home every

week.

"I fly in Thursday morning and fly out Sunday night," he

said. "Some people shake their heads, but if I lived in the (San Fernando)

Valley and drove to the track, it wouldn't take a heck of a lot longer."

Through the years, Stauffer has never lost his enthusiasm

for the game. His popular calls such as "Straight and strong!", "No way does he

catch the winner!", "Yes!" and "You better take a look at!" are just as

exciting in an $8,000 claimer as in a graded stakes.

Stauffer has tried his hand being a jock agent, first at

the fairs and later in Southern California, where he represented Joel Rosario,

Martin Garcia and Tyler Baze.

"I don't see myself being a jock agent again, at least not in Southern

California," stated Stauffer, before adding, "But you never say never."

The ever resourceful Stauffer decided to get a steward's

license and passed the test in 2008. Because of his race calling duties,

Stauffer has only been given assignments on the California fair circuit.

Pondering his future when Hollywood Park closes,

Stauffer knows he has options.

"I maybe could work for TVG, try to get more work as a

steward or be an agent again in Northern California," he said. "I really enjoy

being a steward."

But his preference is clear.

"I want to be a race caller," he emphasized. "I would love

for any track to call me. I want to be a race caller. That's what makes me

happy."

Asked about his final race call at Hollywood Park

on December 22, the final day of the Autumn meet, Stauffer smiled.

"I'm ready," he said. "I know exactly what I'm going to say."

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