For a year that started in Covid-19 restrictions, 2022 surprisingly proved to be a year full of opportunities and new adventures that brought me many new experiences. I’m thankful for every opportunity presented and challenge overcome. There are two things I do at the end of each year; one is add up my lifetime race calls and track them. Going into 2023 at the age of 20 I now sit at 892 race calls in total, gained at 11 different racetracks across North America. The second is to reflect on the journey of the year, both successes and failures, and take the time to set goals for the year ahead. I am a firm believer that hard work, preparation and goal setting pays off in the end.
I have always been taught that success happens when preparation meets opportunity. Well opportunity came knocking in late January, when The Raceway at Western Fair District found themselves without a track announcer. Seeing a chance for some time in the announcers booth, I reached out to management to let them know I would be interested in filling in whenever possible. What originally was slated to be a four day fill in period turned into 3 months wrapping up at the end of April. Greg Blanchard and I covered the announcing duties during that time and I was able to call three nights out of four which was something that exceeded any goals I had set the previous year. Jumping into the booth at any track is an adjustment as you don’t know how things work, but the team made the transition very easy for me and were very welcoming. It was pretty nerve racking at first and what most people didn’t know at the time is that I was going to St. Clair College full time at the downtown campus in Windsor to continue my studies in Public Relations. This made late nights followed by early mornings balancing homework and projects, but it’s all worth it in the end to chase your dreams in life. I’m so thankful for fellow horse people and family support back home for times I needed a lift to the track as it makes a little easier to ride with other people than to drive by myself every night up and down the 401 in the middle of winter.
At the beginning of the posting, I felt my announcing needed some work and it took some time to get comfortable, but I learned how fill dry air, improve pronunciations and even add some excitement to my calls. I took this as an opportunity to grow as an announcer and over time I knew what I had to fix. I listened to my race calls and would identify areas that needed to be tweaked. In that kind of role, it’s tough to please everybody and I learned to keep my head up high and block the outside noise to focus on what I needed to do. Overall, I will never forget the time as it was one of the best opportunities I have gotten in my career. I am so thankful to management and the team for allowing me to follow my dreams. With the return of track announcer Sugar Doyle my time came to an end and the Sugar Shack was brought back to life in the Eye in the London Sky. He loves this track and the sport, and I appreciate all he taught me since I met him at a young age. I have continued to play a role during this season as the backup announcer and as a regular guest handicapper.
After London, I was happy to return to the Dresden Raceway team for the 2022 racing season, as the on-track commentator and backup announcer. It was fun to being able to work trackside and interact with the fans, as well provide selections and interview drivers on the racetrack. It’s good to work in different areas of the business because it gives you a variety of experience. I knew my commentary and interviewing skills needed improvement, so it was perfect at the time. Track announcer Gary Patterson and I have worked together before and we’re a good team. This really shows in our chemistry during the show and our commentary. There is just something special about working at the small tracks, you cannot get that atmosphere anywhere else, where people from young and old are involved in all aspects of the operation. I look forward to seeing what my future holds at Dresden, it has been fun place to work with lots of great people.
The summer of the small tracks continued with the opening of Leamington Raceway in early August After traveling so much this year I appreciated only having to drive 30 minutes from the barn to the half mile oval instead of a few hours and to announce so close to home. This was my ninth season working there, as I started at the age of 12 in 2014 and my third season as track announcer. My first job there was opening and closing the gates to enter the racetrack for a few seasons, and it’s crazy to think how far I have come working at Leamington, calling my first race on Kids Day that year. I am most proud of this past season though, posting the highest season in wagering since Leamington reopened in 2013 by a large margin, seeing improvement in both on track and off-track wagering. Aside from the wagering success, there is just something special about this track’s atmosphere. From the perch of the booth, I can always hear fans cheering for the horse they want to win. That energy always makes your job just a little bit better seeing people enjoy the sport and really get into the action. This is prime example why an on-track atmosphere is so important for a racetrack as it’s the best way to get new people interested and engaged. Leamington recognizes the importance of that factor, that’s why each week features a different theme along with many giveaways and exciting games. By working with social media influencers this year, we were able to tap into a younger more family focused audience that also contributed to this vibe.
Personally, I think this past season was my best one so far at Leamington, as I learned to have fun with it at the same time adding some more excitement and building my skill set. The coolest thing of all was having my mother as the on-track host providing selections, interviews and entertaining fans throughout the day. We would also do on camera selections together in the booth and we became quite competitive in our picks. It was unique being a mother/son duo in racing which fans loved, and it helped us fill the dry air on top of that!
Aside from working at multiple different racetracks, myself and my father Dave Bain operate a small stable located in Belle River Ontario only 5 minutes away from our house. The horses have been such a good stress reliever from the other side of the business and after long school days, I enjoy the peacefulness of the barn. This past year wasn’t bad at all, as with every stable you have ups and downs, but we did enjoy some good racing luck at both Dresden and London throughout the season. The highlight of the year was getting to be a part of the breeding scene for the first time, as we got a really nice filly out of Dali and beloved stable favorite mare On A Cloud. As of right now it’s the quiet time for us in the winter as traveling can be unpredictable this time of year, so the only one in action right now is Slick N Sporty who has become such a fixture around the barn. One thing I have learned from my dad is that you always put the horse and it’s safety first. Everyone of our horses is treated well and lives a very good life. Bringing horses into my life nine years ago changed everything for me, giving me something to look forward to and goals to work towards. Before I got involved, I was extremely shy and wasn’t comfortable being around other people and it didn’t seem like I was every going to be good at interacting with people. Working with the horses and getting to meet so many new people took me out of my comfort zone, which I am so happy about because I have met so amazing people over the years.
The cherry on top of 2022 had to be that I was named a top three finalist for the Dan Patch Breakthrough award which honors young individuals in the sport who aren’t drivers or trainers. I was so thankful for the initial nomination from my fellow USHWA Canada members, who have supported me every step of the way. I was up against Jessica Hallett who is one of the best up and coming photographers in the sport, and Eddison Hatter the track announcer at Freehold Raceway and does lots of great stuff at the Meadowlands. Although I didn’t end up winning the award, making it as a finalist over there was a huge step forward and I am happy for Eddison he does lots of amazing work in this industry. I would love to win this award in the future, and I will keep working hard in the sport and continue to create opportunities. It’s so important to have young people that can step into these broadcast and management roles in the future to keep the industry sustainable for years to come.
Going forward for this year my goals are to pick up some more announcing gigs, travel to some new tracks, get good grades in school and hopefully win some races! Watch for my selections at The Raceway each week and follow me on twitter @NBainracing to stay up to date with me in 2023!
