Mike Battaglia
Encyclopedia
Mike Battaglia is an American
horse racing
analyst, race caller
and television broadcaster. He is most closely associated with Churchill Downs
and the Kentucky Derby
.
Battaglia has worked most of his career at Churchill and Turfway Park
. He has set the morning line odds at Churchill since 1974, and was the race announcer there from 1977 to 1997. He left his position as analyst for simulcast racing in 2008.
Battaglia has been a member of the NBC Sports
broadcast team for the Kentucky Derby
and the Preakness Stakes
since the network gained broadcast rights in 2001. He also worked the Belmont Stakes
for NBC from 2001 through 2005, the Breeders' Cup
from 1993 through 2005, and various other races televised by NBC from 1993 onward.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
analyst, race caller
Race caller
A race caller is a public-address announcer or sportscaster who describes the progress of a race, either for on-track or radio and TV fans. They are most prominent in horse racing, auto racing and track-and-field events....
and television broadcaster. He is most closely associated with Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
and the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
.
Battaglia has worked most of his career at Churchill and Turfway Park
Turfway Park
Turfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati...
. He has set the morning line odds at Churchill since 1974, and was the race announcer there from 1977 to 1997. He left his position as analyst for simulcast racing in 2008.
Battaglia has been a member of the NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
broadcast team for the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and the Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
since the network gained broadcast rights in 2001. He also worked the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
for NBC from 2001 through 2005, the Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
from 1993 through 2005, and various other races televised by NBC from 1993 onward.