Phil Georgeff, American racetrack, Died at 85

  Sports

Phil Georgeff was born on January 1, 1931, and died on November 7, 2016.

He was a retired racetrack announcer from the Chicago area.

Phil was known as “the voice of Chicago racing,” he called races at venues including Arlington Park, Hawthorne Race Course, and Sportsman’s Park from 1959 to 1992. He was also Publicity Director at Hawthorne Race Course.

He earned his BS degree at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism. He is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

Georgeff holds the Guinness Book of World Records for calling 96,131 horse races, including the Arlington Million.

Georgeff was also known for his signature call at the top of the stretch, “Here they come, spinning out of the turn!” That catchphrase was a convenient starting place for TV sports highlight shows, as the replay of any notable race he called would typically be picked up from that point.

Phil Georgeff passed away at 85 years old.