Even in retirement announcer Roger Huston is a busy man. On Friday, June 28, the 81-year-old will make the six and a half hour trek from his home in western Pennsylvania to MGM Yonkers Raceway in New York to call the first legs of the Standardbred Triple Crowns – the $300,000 USD MGM Yonkers Trot and $250,000 USD (est.) MGM Grand Messenger Pace.
“I probably put 500 to 750 miles on my car each week,” said Huston, who travels from Pennsylvania to Ohio weekly to work for the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association and also fills in at Northfield Park and The Meadows as an announcer on occasion.
Huston, a member of the Communicator’s wing of the U.S. Harness Racing Hall of Fame who is also well-known as the voice of the Little Brown Jug, has called more than 184,000 races in his lifetime at 160 racetracks. While some may think Yonkers Raceway will be an addition to the list, according to Huston he actually appeared there in 1995 as part of a drivers’ challenge promotion between Yonkers, Freehold, The Meadowlands and The Meadows.
“The top four drivers at each location faced off against the hometown drivers and I went with them and called the races,” said Huston.
Huston will be able to cross one race off his bucket list on June 28 as he completes the Triple Crown six-pack. The Pacing Triple Crown consists of the Messenger, Cane and Little Brown Jug, all races Huston has called in the past. The Ohio native was able to call the Hambletonian live on NBC in 1979 at DuQuoin and has announced the Kentucky Futurity on radio, but 2024 will mark the first time he’s called the Yonkers Trot.
“I’m thrilled to add that last Triple Crown race to my long résumé and I’m really looking forward to it as much as I look forward to anything else,” said Huston, who is known for bringing energy to every call, whether it is a $4,000 claimer or the Yonkers Trot.
Both Triple Crown races will be part of a monster card at Yonkers that will also feature the New York New York Mile and Park MGM Pace.
In addition to the special guest appearance by Huston on the microphone, fans attending the races live on June 28 will be treated to an outdoor market on the track apron. An integration of the casino and track worlds will take place as patrons from both sides of the gambling world will be welcomed to enjoy special food stands, live music and other promotional items as part of a Triple Crown Fan Fest.
Yonkers Raceway conducts live racing on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to Saturdays with a post time of 7 p.m. (EDT).
(Yonkers Raceway)