Trevor Denman, the voice of Santa Anita Park since 1983, is on a two-week break and will return for the final weekend of the Arcadia, Calif. track's spring meet June 27.
Denman is at his Minnesota farm recharging his batteries from the lengthy season that began Dec. 26.
Frank Mirahmadi, who filled in for Denman last year, once again took over behind the mic June 11.
"I'll be back for the Gold Cup weekend," Denman said. "As I said last year, it's a matter of taking care of the 40 little cows on the farm, so I've got to go back."
The farm is located in Kellogg, Minn., 90 miles south of Minneapolis.
"A house is bad enough," Denman said. "There's always something wrong with it, but a farm is five times worse. Pipes break, water doesn't flow, (and) things go wrong all the time. I have a farmer who actually owns the cows, so he comes over every now and again, but you've got to be there."
Denman welcomed the breather after years of maintaining a shorter schedule at Santa Anita, which extended its early-season dates after the closure of Hollywood Park in 2013.
"I'm so used to that easy calendar every year," Denman said. "It has been a long meet. They just keep coming at you, so the break is good. They always say, 'Can you do it?' Of course you can.
"But you're going to lose a bit of enthusiasm after a while. If you don't, you're not a human being. That battery recharge puts you up to 100% again.
"It's great to have Frank here. I've known him for over 20 years. I just feel so comfortable having him as a replacement."
Frank Mirahmadi
Benoit Photography