A guest announcer will step into the booth in Thursday night’s fifth race at the Meadowlands Racetrack

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Derick Giwner of Harness Eye and the Daily Racing Form will dust off his binoculars to call the $18,000 division of the Horse & Groom Series for conditioned trotters.

Giwner has worked for Sports Eye/DRF since 1996, serving as managing editor of the Harness Eye for the last six years. He started practicing race calling at Yonkers 14 years ago with help from Bob 'Bullet' Meyer and John Hernan.

Giwner picked up his first announcing gig at Goshen and has also stepped behind the mics at Bangor Raceway and Monticello Raceway. He also has experience on the track as a licensed amateur driver.

“If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be calling a race at the Meadowlands, I would have thought you were insane,” Giwner said. “This is a dream come true! That said, I haven’t called a race since 2004, I think, and the butterflies are already swimming in my stomach.

“Maybe if I do a good job they’ll invite me back to call the Hambletonian,” Giwner added, with a chuckle.

(Meadowlands)