Good track announcers are always in demand. That’s one of the reasons that one of the best in the business–Larry Collmus, who is the voice of Belmont Park and the Belmont Stakes–needs to reduce his workload. Earlier this week he took a step to do just that, stepping down from his position as the winter meet announcer at Gulfstream Park.

Collmus’s primary desire in making the move is to reduce his brutal workload He’s the track announcer for the New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks – Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga –which takes up 7 months of the year. In addition, he’s the voice of the Triple Crown and Breeders’ Cup. He released the following statement announcing the move:

Collmus released this statement announcing his decision: “I will not be returning as the announcer for the winter meet at Gulfstream. It’s been a good 10 years, but I feel at this time of my career that it’s in my best interests to cut back my schedule. I’ll be 50 years old in October, and the wear and tear of nearly year-round race-calling will catch up to my body and brain eventually. A winter break will boost my energy levels and give me an opportunity to keep the creative juices flowing. I am extremely fortunate to work for the NYRA and for NBC Sports, and I think I owe it to them to be the best I can be for many years to come.”

The track praised him in acknowledging his resignation with this statement from GM P.J. Campo: “We totally understand where Larry is coming from. He’s under tremendous stress each day with everything he’s doing, and Larry is a perfectionist. We appreciate everything Larry has done for Gulfstream. He’s been a true professional and a great friend to Gulfstream. We wish him all the best moving forward.”

So far, no replacement has been decided upon. The most likely scenario is that Gulfstream’s other track announcer will get the gig. Pete Aiello calls the races at Gulfstream from early April through November and most insiders think he’ll be offered the position as full time announcer.