Announcer and Host Commentator

A NEW BREED OF ENTERTAINMENT With almost 150 years of proud horse racing history, Woodbine Entertainment Group is the founding pioneer and largest operator of professional horse racing in Canada. Building on our rich past, we are surging ahead to the future with an energized, new vision. Today we deliver the most thrilling and highest quality racing, dining and entertainment experiences to our visitors.

In doing so, we remain a world-leader in horse-racing — and also among the most exciting and diverse entertainment facilities on the globe.

Reporting to the Director of Broadcasting, this position’s primary responsibility is to be the voice of Standard bred racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Accountabilities include: delivering the race call of each and every race on a racing card, delivering pertinent and appropriate racing and wagering information required for racing fans on-site and watching our simulcast, hosting of industry events as required, handicapping and analysis of races for the purposes of providing wagering opinions to customers, interviewing subjects as required and participating in feature production where needed.

This position also acts as an additional host on our simulcast broadcast, working with the existing hosts to handicap and provide nightly commentary on our racing cards. This position may be asked to back-fill as a race-caller on our thoroughbred side from time to time if applicable.

• Live-to-air hosting and calling of live horse racing (includes play-by-play descriptions, official decisions and explanations and general info surrounding all of our racing (post parades, minutes to post, official order of finish, lineage for horses, practice training outcomes etc.)
• Live and pre-taped interviews of racing and industry participants for simulcast programming as required
• Analysis and handicapping of Woodbine Mohawk Park’s racing and hosting/delivery of that analysis on-air and for websites and social media as required
• On cameras and/or voice overs for segments as required (live and pre-produced), hosting of racing events as required, appearances/interviews on radio and social media programs as required
• Often required to participate in external broadcast programming (radio shows, podcasts, social media hits) to deliver information to the viewing/listening public
• Regularly engage in conversation with members of the betting public and those within the racing and sports industry (in person, via social media and other media platforms)

Knowledge and Education Advanced knowledge of horse racing Advanced knowledge of wagering and betting Advance knowledge of handicapping General knowledge of television hosting and production techniques General knowledge of social media usage University or college degree/diploma in a field related to Broadcasting, Television or the equivalent in education and experience Expert memorization skills Memorizing all names of all horses in all races on a live card of racing (this includes memorizing silk colours to recognize horses quickly), there can be over 100 horses on a live card and over 10 races on a live card, all requiring memorization to deliver an accurate, exciting and descriptive race call Need to have an extremely creative and innovative mindset to take live action as it happens and describe in detail what is happening to the public as it unfolds in an exciting and interesting way Lived Experience Previous experience in Standard bred or Thoroughbred racing Previous experience in a sports environment with a focus on announcing or on-air hosting Working in horse racing in some capacity with a passion for journalism, communication or broadcasting Must have the ability to react instantly to a live race,…