LAUREL, Md. — Long before he became the voice of the Triple Crown, before millions of viewers came to recognize the rhythm and rise of his calls on NBC broadcasts every spring, Larry Collmus was just a Maryland teenager standing alone in a tiny booth at Laurel Park. He would watch the horses thunder down the stretch and practice race calls to himself, dreaming about one day getting his chance.

Forty-one years later, racing's biggest stage is coming back to him. For the first time in its 151-year history, the Preakness Stakes will be run at Laurel Park this weekend while historic Pimlico Race Course undergoes a sweeping redevelopment project. And when the horses turn for home Saturday evening, the call will come from the same announcer who once sharpened his craft inside this very building.

For Collmus, the Preakness Stakes represent both a national assignment and a full-circle homecoming. "Every year feels like a personal homecoming for me, whether it be Pimlico or Laurel," Collmus said. "I spent so much time there, as the backup announcer and at all the tracks in Maryland. It's a big deal to be that guy that gets to call the race for NBC. But it's double meaning for me to come back to Maryland, where it all started, for sure."

There might not be a person connected to this year's Preakness who better captures the spirit of Maryland racing. Collmus, 59, now lives in Monmouth Beach, N.J., and still spends much of the year moving with the racing calendar. But his roots are forever in Maryland. He grew up in the state and called his first race at Bowie Race Track as an 18-year-old in 1985, working as the assistant announcer at Laurel Park, Pimlico, Bowie, and Timonium before building a career that carried him across the country.

His most significant career leap came in 2011, when Collmus was at Gulfstream Park in Florida and received a call from NBC executives about three weeks before the Kentucky Derby. Tom Durkin, the former voice of the Triple Crown and the Breeders' Cup, was stepping down. Collmus initially thought someone was playing a joke on him. He remembered saying, "That's Tom Durkin's gig!" By the time he realized it was real, he was already on a plane to Louisville, ready to take the reins.

This year's Preakness is not just another race for Collmus—it's a testament to a journey that started in that tiny booth at Laurel Park. As he prepares to call the action, he carries with him the echoes of those early days, the dreams of a teenager, and the legacy of a sport that has shaped his life. For fans and equestrian enthusiasts alike, it's a story of perseverance, passion, and the enduring magic of horse racing.