A man with experience calling more than 40,000 thoroughbred races at nearly a dozen tracks across the U.S. has been tapped as Oaklawn’s sixth announcer, officials in Hot Springs said Wednesday.
Vic Stauffer, 57, previously served as an announcer for 13 years at the now-shuttered Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. He also worked at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.; Golden Gate Fields in Albany, Calif.; and Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, N.J., where his announcing career began in 1985.
“The Oaklawn racing program is one of a kind in American racing,” Stauffer said in a statement. “There is simply no better racing in the country. I look forward to experiencing the huge crowds that are passionate about seeing the best horse races in the world.”
Stauffer replaces Pete Aiello, who resigned from his position in Hot Springs last month to take a full-time announcer job at Gulfstream Park, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.
David Longinotti, director of Oaklawn racing, said a search committee formed shortly after Aiello's departure was unanimous in its decision to hire Stauffer.
“His passion, his accuracy and his clarity make him a rare talent," Longinotti said. "He is able to describe what is happening on the race track in a way that is immediately understandable while still being unique."
The 2017 season of Oaklawn racing in the Spa City track's 113th year begins Jan. 13 and will continue through April 15.
