by Jeff Lowe

Luke Kruytbosch, the racetrack announcer at Churchill Downs, Ellis Park, and Turf Paradise, was found dead on Monday morning in his apartment in Evansville, Indiana. He was 47.

Don Erk of the Vanderburgh County coroner’s office said Kruytbosch died naturally, most likely from a heart attack.

“We’ve talked to his doctor in Ohio who had just given him some medication yesterday when he was feeling bad,” Erk said. “He has all the symptoms of a heart attack. It’s certainly a natural death, and it appears to be cardiac-related.” 

Kruytbosch, who was single, had been the in-house voice of the Kentucky Derby (G1) the last ten years after being hired in 1999 as the announcer at Churchill and Ellis. He called the races at Turf Paradise since 1993 and also was Hollywood Park’s track announcer from 1996 to ’99.

A native of McLean, Virginia, Kruytbosch graduated from the Racetrack Industry Program at the University of Arizona. He was the track announcer at Ruidoso Downs from 1991 to ’95 and also called races at the Downs at Albuquerque, Santa Fe Downs, Sunland Park, and Fair Meadows at Tulsa.

Churchill’s only previous track announcers were Gene Schmidt from 1940 to ’60, Chic Anderson from ’61 to ’77, Mike Battaglia from ’77 to ’96, and Kurt Becker from ’97 to ’98.

Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer