Childhood Interest in Horses Becomes Taylor’s Profession

Instead of asking his parents for a car on his 16th birthday, Heath Taylor asked for and received a trip to the races.

Taylor, a trainer at Los Alamitos Race Course, grew up around horses in Bedford, Ky., where dozens of thoroughbred tracks, including Churchill Downs, were less than a two-hour drive away.

But he has been fascinated with quarter horse racing since he was 7, when he began reading about the Vessels family and their race track in Los Alamitos.

“In thoroughbred [racing], the jockey has to think about pacing the horse and knowing when to make the move,” Taylor said. “In quarter horse, it’s like handling a firecracker. When the gates open, you want a total explosion.”

There were a couple of quarter horse tracks near his hometown, but Taylor, 28, said he wanted to see first-hand what he perceived to be the premier quarter horse racing scene. His father, Michael, bought him a plane ticket to California and sent him packing.

“I felt like a little kid on the other side of the world,” Taylor said of his visit. “I stayed at a place up the street [from Los Alamitos] by myself and walked to the track every night.”

For four nights he watched every race at Los Alamitos, scribbling names of the winners in his race form and jotting down notes about how each horse ran. The memory of his experience stuck and Taylor returned to the track in 1992 as a 21-year-old intern in the publicity department.

He met a lot of people, including track majority owner Edward C. Allred, who would later remember the youngster’s passion for horses.

Taylor returned to Kentucky the next year and graduated in 1993 from Louisville, where he earned student of the year honors as a senior majoring in equine industry.

Since 1990, he has held a job as a trainer at Retama Park, a stable in San Antonio, Texas, where he worked when he wasn’t attending classes. But in 1994, with his degree in hand, he returned to Los Alamitos, along with a dozen of his own horses, as a full-time trainer.

Taylor, who lives in Long Beach with his wife and 1 year-old son, has carved a niche for himself at Los Alamitos.

Taylor has entered horses in 84 races this season, winning 14 and winning more than $90,000 in purses. Allred, who has entrusted Taylor with 20 of his own horses, said the young trainer still battles anonymity.

“He has not had a lot of support from California owners yet, but that’s just a matter of time,” Allred said. “He needs to develop some 2-year-olds into high-class stakes horses, but he has a combination of everything you need [to be a good trainer].”

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Taylor, who returns to work at Retama Park in the off-season, is training 40 horses at Los Alamitos, and a few may go far in helping to establish his credentials.

The 4-year-old gelding Don Calendar will run in the Vessels Maturity tonight, hoping to win a berth in the $350,000 Coors Champion of Champions in December. Dashndoit, a 2-year-old filly, will run in Saturday’s $150,000 Governor’s Cup Futurity. The third horse, Allred’s 3-year-old gelding Juvie, posted the fastest time in qualifying for the $75,000 Gold Rush Derby on July 3.

“I’m a bit concerned about Don Calendar’s position [No. 1 post], but I like his chances,” Taylor said. “Dashndoit is a longshot, but we have kept to the game plan and we will take our best shot.”

Taylor’s game plan means rising with the sun and strolling through the barn by 6 a.m. He stops at each stall and inspects each horse for its overall health and mood.

“They are not machines,” Taylor said. “They can get sick or have sore feet. You have a base [training] schedule, but you have to adjust because they are individuals.”

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A Mere First, owned by Dorothy Mitchum, beat SS Rigamaroll by a head to win the $13,000 Encinitas Handicap on June 20.

Ridden by Roman Figueroa and trained by veteran Blane Schvaneveldt, the mare finished the 350-yard race in 17.53 seconds, earning $7,150.

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An announced crowd of 2,891 was on hand June 20 for the “Rumble at the Races” boxing card. Track officials said the event, which was staged between races, increased attendance by 18.2%.

In the main event, Antonio De Santiago of El Monte improved to 5-0 with a unanimous decision over Roberto Colin (6-4-1) of Mexico City.

The next boxing card is scheduled July 18. Ringside seats are $8, in addition to the general admission charge of $3.

Notes

Los Alamitos has reported an increase in average attendance after the first 38 programs of the year. The track is averaging 2,369 people per night, up almost 18% over 1997 figures.