{{Short description|South African American sportscaster (born 1952)}} {{BLP sources|date=March 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox sports announcer | name = Trevor Denman | image = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1952|9|24}} | birth_place = Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa | sport = Thoroughbred horse racing | awards = Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence (2026)<ref name=eclipseaward/> }}
'''Trevor Denman''' (born 24 September 1952) is a South African former sportscaster and public-address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing, primarily at racetracks in the United States.
==Background== Denman was born in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa. A part-time jockey and exercise rider, he started as a race caller in his native South Africa in 1971 at age 18.<ref>{{cite web |title=Denman makes Hall of Fame |url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/weekend-argus-sunday-edition/20170827/282076276998896 |website=PressReader |publisher=Weekend Argus |access-date=27 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527055332/https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/weekend-argus-sunday-edition/20170827/282076276998896 |archive-date=27 May 2023 |location=South Africa |date=August 27, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> He called two races at Santa Anita Park in 1983 and was hired that year as the announcer of the track's Oak Tree meet. He was named Santa Anita's permanent announcer the following year.<ref name=SA120415>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Trevor Denman, The Voice of Santa Anita Since 1983, Announces Retirement from 'The Great Race Place'|url=http://www.santaanita.com/press-releases/trevor-denman-the-voice-of-santa-anita-since-1983-announces-retirement-from-the-great-race-place/|location=Arcadia, Calif.|publisher=Santa Anita Park|date=December 4, 2015|access-date=December 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221140852/http://www.santaanita.com/press-releases/trevor-denman-the-voice-of-santa-anita-since-1983-announces-retirement-from-the-great-race-place/|archive-date=February 21, 2016}}</ref> He has also called races at Del Mar Racetrack, Pimlico Race Course, Laurel Park Racecourse, Atlantic City Race Course, and Hollywood Park Racetrack.
Denman retired from calling races at Santa Anita in December 2015, saying in a statement that it was "time to stop counting dollars and start counting the stars."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/santa-anita-race-caller-trevor-denman-retires|title=Santa Anita race caller Trevor Denman retires|date=December 4, 2015|website=Fox Sports|publisher=Associated Press|access-date=January 12, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251112021231/https://www.foxsports.com/stories/other/santa-anita-race-caller-trevor-denman-retires|archive-date=November 12, 2025}}</ref> He continued to call races at Del Mar until he scaled his duties back beginning in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic; Larry Collmus and John Lies filled in for Denman on a part-time basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://paulickreport.com/news/people/its-one-of-the-better-places-to-be-collmus-set-to-return-to-del-mar-announcers-booth-for-third-year|title='It's One Of The Better Places To Be': Collmus Set To Return To Del Mar Announcer's Booth For Third Year|date=November 13, 2022|publisher=Paulick Report|last=Charvat|first=Jim|access-date=January 12, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113224721/https://paulickreport.com/news/people/its-one-of-the-better-places-to-be-collmus-set-to-return-to-del-mar-announcers-booth-for-third-year|archive-date=November 13, 2022}}</ref> Denman called his final race at Del Mar in September 2024,<ref name=eclipseaward>{{cite web|url=https://www.drf.com/news/denman-wins-special-eclipse-career-excellence|title=Denman wins Special Eclipse for Career Excellence|last=Andersen|first=Steve|date=January 12, 2026|publisher=Daily Racing Form|access-date=January 12, 2026}}</ref> retiring from that role in March 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://timesofsandiego.com/sports/2025/03/06/denman-longtime-del-mar-race-caller-retires-after-40-years/|title=Denman, Longtime Del Mar Race Caller, Retires After 40 Years|last=Brown|first=Keller|date=March 6, 2025|publisher=Times of San Diego|access-date=January 12, 2026}}</ref>
In January 2026, it was announced that Denman would receive a special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence.<ref name=eclipseaward/>
==Style== He is best known for the phrase "And away they go...", spoken as the horses emerge from the starting gate.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sportingpost.co.za/30-years-of-race-calling-in-usa/ |title=Trevor Denman - 30 Years Of Race Calling In USA |publisher=Sportingpost.co.za |date=2012-11-03 |accessdate=2012-12-03}}</ref> Some other phrases that Denman has coined are popular with racing fans, such as "scraping the paint", used to describe a horse who is saving ground (running very close to the inner rail). Another is "they would need to sprout ''wings'' to catch ______ ..." when a horse is leading by an insurmountable margin in the stretch. A similar phrase used in the same context is "he's [or she's] out here moving like a winner..." "______ looks like he jumped in at the quarter pole..." is used when a horse comes from far back and is running so fast as to give the impression that he has only just started to run. Finally, another well known Denman phrase is, "_________ is coming like an express train!" This phrase is used when a horse is running right by leading horses in the stretch. He owns a three-year-old filly in South Africa, named Top Twenty, trained by Paul Lafferty.
==Breeders' Cup== Denman was the voice of the Breeders' Cup when it aired on ESPN. He replaced Tom Durkin, who had been the race caller since the inception.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/talkinhorses/TD103006.asp |title=Talkin' Breeders' Cup 2006 |publisher=The Blood-Horse |date=October 30, 2006 |accessdate=December 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101231008/https://www.bloodhorse.com/talkinhorses/TD103006.asp|archive-date=November 1, 2006}}</ref>
Denman called the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic won by the undefeated Zenyatta, in what he described as the best race call of his career.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/pdf/qna/qna121102.pdf|title=TDN Q&A|publisher=Thoroughbred Daily News|access-date=January 12, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717025536/https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/pdf/qna/qna121102.pdf|archive-date=July 17, 2024}}</ref>
==Other media== In the 1989 comedy movie ''Let It Ride'' starring Richard Dreyfuss and Teri Garr, Denman is the track announcer that is heard in many of the racetrack scenes that took place at Hialeah Park in Hialeah, Florida. Trevor Denman was also the announcer in the movie ''Racing Stripes'' during the race.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
Denman was the unnamed race announcer in the animated television show The Simpsons episode #239, aired originally in February 2000, entitled ''Saddlesore Galactica''. He had a recurring role in the HBO series ''Luck'', in his real-life job at Santa Anita.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
Denman also makes an appearance in a Verizon commercial.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Thoroughbred Racing on NBC}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Denman, Trevor}} Category:1952 births Category:American horse racing announcers Category:Living people Category:People from Germiston Category:20th-century South African sportsmen