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Dec 13 15 4:37 PM

Battaglia Ready To ‘Ease Out’ Of Racecalling

Battaglia Ready To ‘Ease Out’ Of Racecalling

Mike Battaglia Mike Battaglia

Racecaller Mike Battaglia told the Daily Racing Form that he is “starting to ease out” of the post he has held since 1972. Those listening to Turfway Park on Saturday night might have expected to hear the veteran's easily recognizable voice over the loudspeakers, but instead heard Jimmy McNerney, the long-time jockey agent who will begin to call one or more programs per week at the Northern Kentucky track this winter.

Battaglia intends to continue making the morning line odds for both Churchill Downs and Keeneland, but wants to scale down on the announcing because it has gotten tough for him at 66 years of age. He told DRF that “You have to stay mentally sharp, with no hesitation. We've been getting a lot of 12-horse fields here (at Turfway) and they're not easy, especially at night.”

Over the course of his career, Battaglia called races at Churchill Downs from 1977 to 1996, the old Miles Park in Kentucky, and did a large amount of work with television network NBC regarding horse racing. He said, “It's been a great run, but at some point you have to say it's time.”

"My bets never lose, they just don't win."