Harness racing is good for Taylor Doyle’s mental health
by Chris Lomon
Despite the pressures of his full-time profession, Taylor Doyle turns to his work with pacers and trotters as a treasured source of tranquility.
As a youth worker for the Government of Prince Edward Island, Doyle, who grew up in the Canadian province known for its red-sand beaches, lighthouses, fertile farmland, and world-renowned seafood, is accustomed to stressful situations and testing times.
There is, however, an outlet to decompress from the exigent demands of his job.
“I work in an industry where therapy and mental health are very important,” said Doyle, who has been at his current role for the past 11 years. “I have no problem saying it – not every day is tough, but when they are and you need to unwind, to get to the barn around seven or eight at night, it is peaceful and quiet.”
Doyle first became familiar with those feelings as a kid growing up in Charlottetown, the capital of Prince Edward Island found on the southern coast of the province.
He was given an early introduction to the harness racing scene in the Canadian Maritimes, a sport with a long history on the east coast of the country.
“Most of the Maritimers come into the industry through family,” Doyle said. “For me, it started with a girl, Audrey Walsh, who babysat me when I was in Grade 1. So, the boys from Charlottetown — Todd Walsh and his father, Leonard — are the horsepeople who took me to the racetrack when I was a kid. I was probably around 6 or 7 at the time. Todd’s mom and Leonard’s wife is Audra, so that’s how it all began for me, through the Walsh family.”
While it was far from odds-on that he would one day get involved in racing himself, the more Doyle went to the races and the more people he met in the sport, his connection to it deepened.
It was around his mid-20s when Doyle took a leap of faith.
“I worked for a few different people and places in Charlottetown when I was going to school,” Doyle said. “I started working with the Walsh boys. For about four or five years before that, I was one of [trainer] Tommy Weatherbie’s right-hand guys, so I had a pretty good run with him. I was able to do a lot of different things and learn a lot from that experience and that really helped push me forward.”
It wasn’t only Weatherbie who provided the young horseman with an equine education.
A bay mare with a few white hairs on her forehead, one who has gone on to win multiple stakes races, three O’Brien Awards, and boasts a bankroll of over $1.7 in career purse earnings.
“I actually got to break So Much More before she went big,” said Doyle, of the daughter of Big Jim out of the Real Artist mare Ladysai. “We didn’t know what she would become back then, but you could tell she had some talent.”
Doyle, who decided to run a small stable of his own, launched his training career in 2019. One year later, he added driver to his resume.
“I moved to Kensington (PEI) in 2019 to be close to work,” he said. “I had eight starts in my first training year and won my first race the following year.”
He also notched his milestone driving victory in 2020.
“Chris Mackay, who is very hot right now, gave me the chance to drive one of his fillies,” Doyle said.
The filly was Scotlynn Seelster, also a daughter of Big Jim. She raced for Isabelle Darveau and Robert Sheperd in Toronto, before Chris Mackay bought her through onGait, the first online selling and auction website dedicated to the standardbred industry, providing both harness racing sellers and buyers an online venue to sell and purchase racehorses.
On July 5, 2020, Doyle and the bay mare lined up behind the wings as the 7-5 choice in the opening dash at Summerside Raceway in PEI.
“The Walshs let me qualify her twice and then gave me a spin on her,” Doyle said. “I think it was opening day at Summerside – Lobster Carnival Week, anyway.
“I knew I had the horse and I showed a couple :28 final quarters with her in qualifying, so I knew I had a good one.”
Driver and pacer got away third and were nearly four lengths behind the leader at the half. Around the five-eighths mark, they were ahead by nearly two lengths.
“When I showed her a bit of daylight, I got away on them pretty good and we won in 1:59.4,” he said. “Going 1:59 at Summerside is a good time and she came home in :28 and change. It was a great feeling, for sure.
“I wasn’t able to let it sink in at the time, but I was very grateful to Chris for giving me that chance. Chris and his son Jordan have become great friends and have given me a lot of great opportunities to work horses and help them out.”
Doyle, who once marveled at the close-knit Maritimes racing community as a wide-eyed kid, is now grateful to be a part of that scene.
He is reminded, often, of the support horsepeople have for one another throughout the towns and cities that dot the East Coast.
“If you land anywhere at any track out here, people will empty out a stall in two minutes, neat as can be, for you to use,” he said. “These people make you feel like family. That’s how the Maritimers are.”
Doyle has no plans to increase the size and scope of his stable, now or in the future.
And that suits him just fine.
“Racing is my side career,” said Doyle, who is married to Brooke, daughter of longtime Maritimes voice of harness racing, Vance Cameron. “It’s the same thing with Todd and Lenny Walsh. They would talk about having a small stable but getting the most enjoyment out of the racing experience. That’s how I look at it, too.
“I have two nice older horses for a couple of guys I work with, and I picked up a new owner in Hailee Currie – I have two with her. It’s busy enough for sure.”
Not just in the barn or office, either.
“I have a 3½-year-old, so that keeps me busy in the best way possible,” Taylor said. “He doesn’t miss too many hay runs or water runs. His favorite horse right now is one I have called Sharky, so he loves to get out of the car and wants to say hello to him.
“It’s nice to see when they start wanting to go see the horses more – it reminds you of when you were young. The horses just have a special way about them – they can always lift you up when you need it the most.”
Something that Taylor knows all about.
