Tom Durkin, who will retire Aug. 31 after 43 years as a race caller, received The Jockey Club Medal the night Aug. 9 for exceptional contributions to the Thoroughbred breeding and racing industry.
The presentation was made by Ogden Mills Phipps, chairman of The Jockey Club, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., at a dinner hosted by the organization.
"Tom has given generously of his time to promote the sport of Thoroughbred racing, and his legacy will live on in the fabulous race calls he made for some of this country's most important races over a long period of time," said Phipps. "He has been a goodwill ambassador for our sport and we wish him all the best as he explores his many other interests after Aug. 31."
Durkin, who has served as the race caller for the New York Racing Association for 24 years, called every Breeders' Cup race from its inception in 1984 through 2005. He also called Triple Crown races and numerous other major stakes on various networks.
Previous recipients of The Jockey Club Medal are Daniel G. Van Clief Jr. (1984), Jean Romanet (1985), Richard L. Duchossois (1986), Jack Van Berg (1987), Dennis Swanson (1988), Joe Hirsch (1989), Dr. Charles Randall (1990), Dr. Manuel A. Gilman (1991), R. Richards Rolapp (1992), Kenneth Noe Jr. (1993), Dr. Larry Bramlage (1994), Alan Marzelli (1998), Nick Nicholson (1998), Hans J. Stahl (2003), and Louis Romanet (2007).
