Santa Anita Announces New Simulcast Broadcast Team Of Michelle Yu, Megan Devine And Peter Lurie

Beginning opening day, Tuesday, Dec. 26, Santa Anita Park will be represented by a stellar simulcast broadcast team, headed by Michelle Yu, Megan Devine and Peter Lurie. The threesome, each of whom bring varied backgrounds and areas of expertise, will handle pre-race seminars, race by race handicapping and analysis, as well as selected pre and post-race interviews.

A member of Santa Anita’s broadcast team as recently as two years ago, Yu, who is married to trainer Ryan Hanson and is the mother of their 22 month-old daughter, Olivia, also includes high profile broadcast stints with Fox Sports, TVG and HRTV in her extensive resume.

“It’s exciting to be able to return to doing what I really love, on-air television for Santa Anita,” said Yu, who is a native of Walnut, CA, where she began riding at the age of three. “I’ve been raising my daughter for the past couple of years and Ryan and I both thought this would be a great time to get back to the place that gave me such a great opportunity a few years back.

“There’s nothing in the whole world like Santa Anita the day after Christmas and I’m looking forward to being a part of that magical scene. We’ll have great racing all day and it’s very exciting to be able to handicap these races and interact with everyone, the jockeys, trainers and owners, who put on the show.”

An honors graduate of the University of Louisville’s Equine Industry Program, where she was the Equestrian Team captain, Devine worked as a production assistant at NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) while in college and took her first broadcast position as simulcast analyst for Ellis Park in July, 2016. A member of Santa Anita’s simulcast team since September, 2016, Devine has also worked this year as on-air talent at TVG.

“I’m appreciative of the investment that The Stronach Group has made in our simulcast show,” said Devine. “The experience, insights and personalities of Michelle and Peter will be great additions to our team and I think the fans, bettors and horsemen will be pleased with the product we’re creating as we work to provide coverage of the best horses in the country. We’re going to have some fun. That’s what it’s all about.”

An actor by trade and longtime voiceover artist in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, Lurie, who is also a licensed Thoroughbred owner in California, has also worked on Santa Anita’s simulcast team, and like Yu, has extensive broadcast experience on both TVG and HRTV.

“Santa Anita has always been home to me,” said Lurie. “I grew up at this track, and I can’t think of another place I’d rather be. It’s called The Great Race Place for good reason. Santa Anita is a classic venue unequaled in this country and I’m excited to be back on the team here.”

With the eyes of the racing world on The Great Race Place the day after Christmas, Santa Anita’s simulcast team of Yu, Devine and Lurie will be entertaining fans nationwide throughout an action-packed nine-race card that will include the Grade I Malibu Stakes and the Grade I La Brea Stakes as well as a pair of Grade II events, the Mathis Brothers Mile (turf) and the San Antonio Stakes, which will serve as a prep for the $16 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27.

First post time on opening day, Dec. 26, will be at 12 noon, admission gates open at 10 a.m.

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