Taylor, chart caller for 42 years, to retire in May
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Jeff Taylor will hang up his binoculars after more than 42 years as a chart caller when the Oaklawn Park meet closes May 2.
Taylor’s career has spanned 60,000 races. He began with Daily Racing Form in 1983 at Louisiana Downs and has continued with Equibase since chart calling teams at tracks around the country were consolidated in 1998.
Taylor, 66, is known for his accurate and insightful race comments appearing in result charts. He has worked as a chart caller at various tracks in the Southwest, spending the bulk of his career in Louisiana and Arkansas.
It was at Oaklawn where the Little Rock, Ark., native first was introduced to racing.
“I was a freshman in college, at Arkansas Tech,” Taylor said. “I fell in with a group of elder classmen in the dorm and they told me, ‘Don’t schedule any Tuesday or Thursday classes. Those are our two race days.’ And they basically said, you’ve got to come with us. From the very first time I walked into the doors at Oaklawn, I knew I was hooked. It was just that simple. Once I stepped through those doors, it was magic and I’ve not regretted it looking back.”
Taylor earned his degree in engineering and put it to use soon after school.
“I put in a housing development south of Little Rock after I graduated,” he said. “Between projects, I wrote a letter to the personnel director of the Racing Form, just on a lark, seeing if I could maybe get my foot in the door and get involved in this wonderful sport.
“I was simply a fan and I wanted to get involved, and that’s how I started.”
Taylor’s duties eventually extended beyond chart calling. He wrote articles for Daily Racing Form and has been a backup announcer at some tracks, including Oaklawn. It’s led to his calling a handful of races for the public, covering for announcers at Evangeline Downs, Louisiana Downs, and SunRay Park.
Taylor, who has been a morning-line maker, also conducted a handicapping seminar at Louisiana Downs for 18 years. For the same amount of time, he co-hosted Oaklawn Race Day on The Buzz 103.7 in Little Rock.
“I was kind of proud of that endeavor,” Taylor said. “Rolly Hoyt and I started that back in 2008.”
Taylor said he wrapped up his full-time position as a chartcaller in January, at the end of the holiday meet at Oaklawn. He said for the remainder of the meet he will work as the chart caller on cards featuring graded stakes. From there, he and his wife of 27 years, Sunny, will officially retire in Hot Springs.
“It’s not like I’m going cold turkey from racing,” Taylor said. “Once it gets in your blood it stays in your blood and I’ve got other side hustles I’m still involved with, so I’m still going to be very much in the loop, if you will, as far as racing goes, at Oaklawn especially. I’m just giving up the day-to-day process.
“We just feel like it’s time to shift priorities, just a tad, see some friends and family. We want to travel. Retirement is something you don’t take lightly – at least I don’t. This wasn’t an easy decision, for sure, but I felt like it was time.”
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