TAMPA, FL - There are a few sounds synonymous with horse racing. The bugle; The starting bell; And the voice of the race.

At Tampa Bay Downs, the voice patrons have heard for nearly four decades belongs to Richard Grunder. He’s been drawn to the sport since he was in grammar school.

“I grew up in Dodge City, Kansas,” said Grunder. “I got out of dodge, believe it or not. And we had a small stable of horses that we raced in La Mesa Park in Raton, New Mexico. I always went with my dad to the racetrack, running photo finishes down to the grandstand. Just have loved the game from the first time I was around it.”

After get the itch for the track, Grunder told the most important person of his career aspirations – his mother.

“I said ‘mom I’m going to be a track announcer’, and she was like ‘yeah, whatever’,” said Grunder with a laugh. “I’d drive my mom crazy. I would recreate races out of a chart book and run around the living room (calling races) and I would just drive them crazy and send me to the basement.”

Grunder’s passion only grew. And at just 20 years old, he called his first race – the Saskatchewan Derby in Canada. All the while his preparation never changed.  

“Each race I memorize the jockey’s silks with the horse’s name on each race,” said Grunder, who holds the race sheet and binoculars for each race. “Then hopefully have them down solid when the bell rings and the race runs and then you forget that set of colors and move on to the next set – you’ll do that maybe nine-ten times a day.”

He came to Tampa Bay Downs in 1984 and has been here ever since. It’s safe to say Richard Grunder is as a much a part of Tampa Bay Downs as, well, the horses.

“He is certainly a voice that you recognize,” said Margo Flynn, the vice president of marketing and publicity at Tampa Bay Downs. “You don’t even have to see the video to know that you’re at Tampa Bay Downs when you hear his voice.”

“Many, many, many people go ‘ oh you’re that guy, you’re the announcer guy,” said Grunder.  

Many more people would hear Richard Grunder over the past year. While most of the sports world was shut down last spring due to the pandemic, horse racing kept going. The season at Tampa Bay Downs was extended two months from May to July. For Grunder, it meant a bigger audience – with people tuning in all over North America.

“It’s a neat feeling,” Grunder said. “A little pressure because you’re kind of under the gun all the time.”

That’s the way Grunder likes it. But come this weekend, he’ll hang up his microphone, put away his binoculars, and say goodbye to Tampa.

“Sunday, May 2^nd, about 5:30 will be the curtain call,” said Grunder, whose eyes began to tear up. I’ll be sad. But it’s time.”

Richard Grunder’s career is on the final home stretch. There is sadness, but also joy for a dream fulfilled. He will always feel like that little boy who fell in love with announcing at a day at the races.