NBC Sports' Britney Eurton and British-based racing presenter Jess Stafford will join analyst Caton Bredar for an all-star broadcast team that includes Michael Wrona returning to the announcer's booth for Kentucky Downs' 2025 race meet.
Britain's Nick Luck--arguably international horse racing's best-known broadcaster--also will be at Kentucky Downs for NBC's live coverage on Saturday, Aug. 30. That two-hour telecast (3-5 p.m. Central) on NBC's flagship network will include the $3.5 million, Grade 3 DK Horse Nashville Derby, America's richest race for 3-year-olds on turf.
Those at Kentucky Downs and the simulcast audience will enjoy an enhanced video production with the addition of a drone camera as well as a cable cam running the length of the stretch. Kentucky Downs runs Aug. 28, 30, 31 and Sept. 4, 6, 7 and 10 over America's only European-style turf course.
Eurton, Stafford, and Bredar will provide analysis and paddock interviews throughout the meet on the Kentucky Downs' broadcast, with Luck contributing on opening day and Aug. 31. Each day's DK Horse simulcast feed will begin with the Race Lens Angle of the Day, providing a betting perspective using the interactive past-performance product from Equibase, the industry's official statistician. Eurton also will be on NBC's Aug. 30 broadcast.
"Our managing partners Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone challenge us each year to find new ways to improve the experience for our horsemen, guests and horseplayers, and this is part of that mission," said Ted Nicholson, vice president for racing for ECL Entertainment, Kentucky Downs' parent company. "We've put together an all-star international cast that will make our simulcast feed must-watch viewing for racing fans while also appealing to a much broader audience, both geographically and as far as horse-racing knowledge.
"Bringing in Nick and Jess is a logical extension of entrenching our seven days on the international racing calendar. Caton is among the best in the business, and Britney is a rising star for NBC Sports who already had a strong fandom in racing from her years working for TVG and FanDuel TV. With our drone camera and cable cam, we'll also have racing video befitting the strongest broadcast team of any racetrack in the country."
A look at the 2025 voices of Kentucky Downs:
Britney Eurton
Britney Eurton has been a reporter for NBC Sports' horse-racing coverage since 2017, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and the Breeders' Cup World Championships. She served last year as a tennis reporter on NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage and as a host of the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Eurton began her broadcasting career in 2014 with the TVG Network (now FanDuel TV), covering racing across America and internationally. The University of Southern California graduate is the daughter of California-based trainer Peter Eurton, a former jockey. One of Britney's most memorable and emotional interviews came with her dad after he won the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with 45-1 shot Storm the Court. Follow Eurton on X/Twitter @BritneyEurton.
Jess Stafford
American horse-racing enthusiasts will recognize Jess Stafford from FanDuel TV's British racing coverage. She began working for Britain's Racing TV in 2020, leaving a full-time post there to accommodate an expanding role with FanDuel. Stafford hosts the SBK Betting Podcast and handles social media and marketing for the Group 1-winning ownership group Thurloe Thoroughbreds, founded by her father, James. She won the Alan Lee Trophy for Emerging Talent at the Horserace Writers and Photographers Association's Derby Awards in 2021. Follow Stafford on X/Twitter @Jess_Stafford_
Caton Bredar
Kentucky Downs paddock analyst Caton Bredar ranks among the deans of American racing commentators with more than 35 years as a broadcaster, analyst, anchor and writer in the horse-racing industry. She was the first on-air talent hired when TVG came into existence and continues as a freelance FanDuel TV analyst in Kentucky, Florida and elsewhere for America's foremost racing channel. She has been a Kentucky Downs analyst for either the track or FanDuel TV since 2016 and a regular host of the Breeders' Cup's Players' Show that airs on FanDuel TV. Bredar grew up near Arlington Park, the daughter of the late trainer and racing entrepreneur Raymond Metzler and the granddaughter of Hall of Fame jockey Ted Atkinson. She moved to Louisville in 2003, joining the NBC affiliate WAVE-3 as a news anchor and reporter before going back into horse racing full-time. Bredar worked as an exercise rider, owner, trainer and official before turning to broadcasting. She has covered thoroughbred and harness events for ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, CBS and FOX. Follow Bredar on X/Twitter @CBredar.
Nick Luck
Nick Luck has become the most visible racing broadcaster in the world, prominent on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and with a relentless work schedule. Luck became a household face in Britain while presenting Channel 4 Racing and now serves as studio host and on-course reporter for Racing TV, one of England's two major horse-racing television channels. Luck is a key component of NBC's Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Breeders' Cup coverage and is a nine-time winner of the Horserace Writers' & Photographers' Association Broadcaster of the Year. The Nick Luck Daily Podcast can be found on major podcast distributors, including Apple and YouTube, with his weekly interview show Luck on Sunday part of Racing TV's on-demand programming. Follow Luck on X/Twitter @NickLuck.
Wrona returns as Kentucky Downs' announcer
Michael Wrona called the races at Kentucky Downs in 2019 and split duties in 2020 with Larry Collmus after Wrona was named year-round announcer for Los Alamitos in California's Orange County. Now, with Collmus taking over the mic for Del Mar's summer meet, Wrona will be back at Kentucky Downs.
The 59-year-old Australian-born Wrona, who has called races in six countries, has earned a reputation as one of the sport's most colorful and entertaining announcers, weaving humor into precise calls. Wrona's simple proclamation of "Racing!" as the horses spring from the gate is among the best-known race-call signatures in the industry.
"I'm delighted to be returning to Kentucky Downs for the first time since 2020," Wrona said. "I have watched with interest and admiration as the track's racing product and profile continue to grow and am extremely grateful to Los Alamitos for releasing me to come to Kentucky Downs."
Said Nicholson: "We've been blessed to go from one iconic announcer to another and back. His Australian accent fits well with our increasing presence of international horses, and we look forward to many memorable race calls."
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
