Announcer and Host Commentator

Woodbine Entertainment Group; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 102,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Woodbine Entertainment Group is seeking a dynamic broadcaster to be the voice of Standardbred racing at Woodbine Mohawk Park. You will deliver live race calls, host interviews, and provide wagering analysis for on-site and simulcast audiences.

The role requires exceptional memory for horse names and silks, quick reaction to live action, and experience in racing or sports broadcasting. This is a full-time on-site position with opportunities across racing programs.

Qualifications

• Experience in Standardbred or Thoroughbred racing is required.
• Ability to react instantly to live race action and describe on-the-fly.
• Excellent memorization of horse names and silks for accurate race calls.

Responsibilities

• Live-to-air hosting and calling of live horse racing with play-by-play and race information.
• Conduct live and pre-recorded interviews for simulcast programs.
• Analyze and handicap racing data and provide on-air commentary and wagering opinions.
• Occasional on-camera hosting for segments and external broadcast appearances.

Skills

Live hosting

Play-by-play

Broadcasting

Interviewing

On-air performance

Racing analytics

Memorization of horses

Education

Broadcasting/Television degree

Job description

A NEW BREED OF ENTERTAINMENT With almost 150 years of proud horseracing history, Woodbine Entertainment Group is the founding pioneer and largest operator of professional horseracing 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.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director of Broadcasting, this position’s primary responsibility is to be the voice of Standardbred 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.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• 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)

SKILLS

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 Standardbred 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, describing that instant action live as it happens and unfolds on-the-fly Live handicapping – studying wagering data, analytics, past race data, horse body language all to help in their description of the action and help deliver the best information possible Live-to-air, on-the-fly decision making surrounding information to deliver to the public Dealing with live-to-air, on-the-fly technical issues with broadcast equipment (microphones, IFB’s etc.)

WORKING CONDITIONS

Normal outdoor racetrack environment where there may be temperatures/weather to adjust to, crowd noise to deal High stress dealing with live television production and describing the action live-to-air Regular interruptions, multiple demands and time pressure Standardbred Product – working all nights with few day shifts Thoroughbred Product – working both days of the weekend with no weekends off April – December unless requested as vacation Ability to drive to our other track location Reason for Vacancy: Replacement Salary range: The target hiring salary range for this position is $102,000 to $112,000 CAD. This range is not a guarantee of compensation. Final placement within the range depends on factors such as internal equity, market conditions, and the candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications relevant to the role. We use AI-powered resume screening software to help identify qualified candidates based on the criteria in this job posting. All applications prioritized by the system are subsequently reviewed by our hiring team to ensure a fair and human-centered selection process

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Be Yourself. We believe differences should be valued and celebrated. By building diverse and inclusive teams, we strive to provide a more authentic and empowering work experience that unlocks the potential of our people. Regardless of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, we believe everyone has the right to express their ideas, ambitions, and pursue their goals with confidence and integrity. Diversity breeds innovation. We want people to think differently. Our commitment is to build a culture that welcomes everyone and leverages their unique perspectives to be a great entertainment company that shares the thrill of horseracing experiences with the world. At the core of everything we do is the beauty of the race horse, but it takes thousands of people from diverse backgrounds to do it as well as we do. Our team is expanding, and we want to hire the most talented people we can. Our team members work in fields such as wagering, hospitality, marketing, property services, finance, broadcasting, IT and much more.