Life's Calling, A: The Voice Behind the World's Greatest Horse Races

by Tom Durkin, Paul Volponi, Lenny Shulman

The riveting autobiography of iconic American sportscaster Tom Durkin Sports have become indelibly linked to the voices that describe the action, from Al Michaels at the Olympics to baseball’s Vin Scully and basketball’s Marv Albert. In horseracing, perhaps no single voice did as much to reshape, modernize, and improve the soundtrack of the sport as Tom Durkin. In A Life’s The Voice Behind the World’s Greatest Horse Races, Tom Durkin, alongside longtime turf writers Paul Volponi and Lenny Shulman, shares his fascinating story. Readers will revel in his tales of life in the backwater stops of the Midwest learning horse racing among rickety grandstands and local hustlers, and of the day when he called the first Breeders’ Cup and ended up at an after-party surrounded by Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Cary Grant. Durkin also candidly recounts how the pressure to describe each race with flawless accuracy became too much, leading him to step away from the spotlight while still at his prime. Durkin’s life is as colorful as his description of a come-from-behinder weaving his way through horses toward a photo finish. A Life’s Calling is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more about the voice behind many of horse racing’s greatest calls.

212 pages, Hardcover

Published May 28, 2026

Reviews

[Mary Cummins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this wonderfully entertaining book- A Life’s Calling by Tom Durkin in exchange for a honest review.This autobiographical book is a racing masterpiece that highlights Durkin’s life from his formative days in Chicago through his early race calling days in Florida through his ascension at the New York racetracks to the pinnacle of race calls - The Belmont Stakes and Breeder’s Cup..He shares many tips of the trades and explains to readers how he was able to memorize all the names of the horse and just as quickly forget them for the next race.He also describes his life away from the tracks traveling and enjoying time spent with friends and in retirement his focus has also turned to teaching high school students in public speaking.This book keeps the horse racing fan like me engaged from start to finish with a superb story of a man who has truly lived his life to the fullest.