by Chris Lomon

For Keith MacDonald Legge, a deep connection to horse racing has always been par for the course for the avid golfer.

“This is a lifelong thing for me,” said Legge, who hails from Truro, NS — a town steeped in standardbred racing history and known as the Hub of the province. “Once you’re hooked, you’re hooked — and I definitely am.”

The driver and trainer’s association with pacers and trotters can be traced back to his pre-teen years.

Soon, regular visits to the stables became the norm.

“I ended up getting involved in racing through Emmons MacKay, a well-known horseman around Truro Raceway and the Maritimes,” Legge said. “His wife — she passed away a few years ago — was my babysitter. Once I was old enough, around 7, Emmons would start taking me around to the barn. I was hooked right from the start.”

Legge had an ideal mentor in MacKay.

With over 500 training wins and more than 2,200 driving victories, MacKay took the aspiring young horseman under his wing, always willing to answer Legge’s questions.

And there were many of them.

“Emmons taught me everything I know, from the ground up,” Legge said. “I went out and learned some more things from other horsepeople at Truro.”

Legge eventually headed west to Ontario.

He would work for several people — trainer Colin Johnson, Corey Johnson, Sean and Mark Steacy — over his two years in Canada’s most populous province, each opportunity further sparking his interest in the industry.

Legge then made the decision to return to Nova Scotia, but with a different game plan in mind.

“I went back to get an education, so that I could pursue a full-time job, get a pension – all that good stuff,” he said. “My mom convinced me that was the path I should take.”

That journey brought him to Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) in 2017, where his involvement in horse racing would take a temporary backseat.

Despite the demands of school, Legge always found time to keep on top of the sport.

Eventually, he found himself back in familiar surroundings.

“I took a one-year NSCC course to become a Powerline Technician,” he said. “I watched races, checked out all the racing news, and stayed in touch with what was going on. In the second year of my apprenticeship, I was transferred to Sydney [NS] and I was hanging out at Northside Downs with Max Sehl, Wayne and Adam Merner. That kind of got me back into it.”

When he was transferred back to Truro, Legge met up with longtime friends and horsepeople, Eddie Harvey and Kathy MacLean.

“Kathy asked me to take care of a horse for her and here I am, five years later, with a couple horses of my own and back in the game again,” Legge said.

It is exactly where he wants to be.

Legge, who won his first race as a trainer in 2022, can’t imagine a time when he won’t be involved in the racing world.

“There will always be one in the barn for me – I know I will always own at least one horse for the rest of my life,” he said. “This August, it will be eight years since I started with Nova Scotia Power in my full-time job as a powerline technician. The horses, I guess, could be seen as a hobby, but the horses are much more than that for me – I’d be lost without them and racing.”

In 2023, Legge joined the driving ranks and won 10 races in 65 starts, including his first victory with Paul Langille trainee Preceptor on July 30, 2023. Legge also won 10 races last year.

Although he is a neophyte compared to some of his contemporaries, there have already been some memorable highlights to speak of.

“The first horse I owned part of — her name is Mach Raiser — ended up setting the track record [in 2013] at Northside Downs when she went 1:55.4,” he said. “I owned her with Wayne Merner, and she was amazing. I remember being in the paddock and Wayne said to me, ‘They are going to have to go 1:55 to beat her.’ She still holds the track record to this day.

“Star Collector is another one who comes to mind. I owned him with Eddie [Harvey] and Kathy [MacLean]. He was a classy old guy, and we ended up getting him a new lifetime mark. I actually drove him in my first amateur race, so he holds a special place for me.”

Legge can say the same for most of the horses he has worked with over the years.

Much like his time at NSCC, he has enjoyed an education, this one of the equine variety, through standardbred racing.

“They teach you so much,” he said. “Horses have taught me the value of hard work, responsibility, and staying grounded. They are like having a kid – they eat before you do, and if they aren’t happy and healthy, neither are you.

“When I get to the barn at 5:30 in the morning, I become myself again and I let the outside world stay there.”

Beyond his full-time job and horse racing life, Legge enjoys any time spent on the links.

While he doesn’t have any plans on joining the PGA Tour, a round of golf is always a good day spent.

“I lead a pretty busy life away from work and the barn,” Legge said. “I golf as much as I can in the summer. The golf courses here in Nova Scotia and the Maritimes are beautiful. I also play hockey in the winter, so I keep active.”

Mornings and evenings include opening his laptop and checking out the latest horse racing news from across North America, along with tuning in to catch some racing action.

As Legge said, once you’re hooked, you’re hooked.

“Horse racing means so much to me,” Legge said. “When I look back at what brought me to this point, I just feel grateful. Wherever life has taken me, I have never lost touch with the horses and the industry. I don’t expect that to ever change.”