Durkin Comes out of Retirement to Call Belmont Stakes

Legendary race caller Tom Durkin returns to the announcer's booth for the 155th running of the June 10 Belmont Stakes (G1) as he'll call the classic for FOX Sports.

Durkin, who retired from race calling in 2014 after 43 years behind the mic, will call all the races aired by FOX Sports during its 4-7:30 p.m. ET coverage of the Belmont Stakes Day undercard as well as the final jewel of the Triple Crown as per an agreement with the network.

"We are honored to have the legendary Tom Durkin return for the Belmont Stakes this year," said FOX Sports president of production/operations and executive producer Brad Zager. "When it became official that an iconic piece of the historic Triple Crown would air on FOX, we knew it could only be complete with Tom's voice as the soundtrack."

As of January 2022, FOX Sports had secured the media rights for the Belmont Stakes for eight years beginning in 2023. The Belmont Stakes was previously aired by NBC, which currently broadcasts the two opening legs of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1).

"The Belmont Stakes has been an iconic part of sports culture for more than 150 years," Durkin said. "There is nothing like the energy and enthusiasm around Belmont Park with a Triple Crown on the line. It is the apotheosis of excitement."

Durkin called all three of the Triple Crown races from 2001-2014. After calling five straight near Triple Crown misses with War Emblem (2002), Funny Cide (2003), Smarty Jones  (2004), Big Brown   (2008), and California Chrome   (2014), American Pharoah   swept the Triple Crown in 2015 upon Durkin's retirement.