Bill Vassar/Shane Micheli photo
Track announcer Chris Griffin will call the upcoming Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos Race Course. The 10-day season begins Friday, Sept. 6 and continues through Sunday, Sept. 22. Griffin, 38, will also call the nighttime Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred action during that span in place of the vacationing Ed Burgart.
Griffin, a California native, has called several meets in his home state including the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, the Alameda County Fair (Pleasanton), the State Fair in Sacramento and the Big Fresno Fair. Additionally, Griffin serves as the track announcer at Sam Houston Race Park in Texas and previously called at Portland Meadows in Oregon and Gulfstream Park West – formerly Calder – in Florida.
Prior to starting his career as a track announcer, Griffin worked with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and was the master of ceremonies, public address announcer, and play-by-play announcer for the Harlem Globetrotters for five years prior to starting his career as track announcer. Griffin, who visited various racetracks with his family during his youth, became more involved in racing through his friendship with Frank Mirahmadi, currently the track announcer at Santa Anita and Monmouth Park in New Jersey. It was Mirahmadi who recommended Griffin for the job of track announcer at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale when it became available in 2015. Griffin has called at Ferndale ever since and has since added the Northern California race meets at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, State Fair in Sacramento, and Big Fresno Fair to his growing resume.
“To be given the opportunity to fill in at Los Alamitos is truly an honor,” Griffin said. “Being from Santa Monica it’s really going to be special for my friends and family to hear me live. I’m ready to roll.”
Post time for the LACF meet will be 1 p.m. Racing will be conducted on a Friday-Sunday basis the first two weeks (Sept. 6-8 and 13-15) and Thursday-Sunday (Sept. 19-22) the final week. Night racing will follow Friday -Sunday shortly after the daytime program concludes. For more information, please call 714-820-2690.
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