Grants Pass Downs has named veteran race caller Jason Beem as track announcer for its 2020 commercial race meets. Beem will call all nine days of summer racing, beginning Tuesday, June 16 through closing day, Wednesday, July 8, as well as the track’s fall meet. Final dates for fall racing have yet to be determined.

A seasoned track announcer, social media personality, podcast host and author, Beem brings over 15 years of experience calling races to Grants Pass Downs. He has experience calling meets around the country, at Colonial Downs, Louisiana Downs, Monmouth Park, Portland Meadows and River Downs, among others. He hosts a daily horse racing podcast called The Jason Beem Horse Racing Podcast, and is known for his annual “Beemie Awards,” held each December to celebrate the best moments in horse racing social media.

“We are excited to add Jason’s talent and vast experience in horse racing to the upcoming summer meet,” said Randy Evers, president of Grants Pass Downs. “His infectious enthusiasm for our sport is the perfect fit for calling our races, and he is certain to inject an extra wow factor in an unusual time. Our summer race dates will be held without spectators to maintain health and safety during the pandemic, but we are confident that Jason’s unique voice will help accurately reflect the excitement we’ve felt from the Grants Pass community.”

Beem, a Pacific Northwest native who grew up attending races at Longacres and Portland Meadows, is eager to lend his talents to the track for the first commercial races in Oregon this year.

“I’m honored to join the team at Grants Pass Downs as they continue to build on Oregon’s long and storied horse racing legacy,” said Beem. “The leadership and staff at Grants Pass Downs are doing an excellent job driving the next era of horse racing in the state while keeping hundreds of horsemen and women at work in Southern Oregon. I consider Oregon a second home and am thrilled to be a part of this team for the summer and fall meets.”

The summer race meet at Grants Pass Downs will kick off without spectators on Tuesday, June 16. Post time is set for 4 p.m. each day. Races will be available for spectators to watch and wager on TVG Network and other advance deposit wagering sites, and carried by Oregon’s off track betting sites. A full list of participating ADW sites and open off track betting sites are available on Grants Pass Downs’ website at www.gpdowns.com.