BANGOR – It’s easy to see why Shawn Nye is such a highly regarded trainer in the local harness racing community.

The 34-year-old Bangor native’s love for horses is obvious, but more importantly, so is their love for him.

While the soft-spoken Levant resident chatted in his stables on the back end of Bass Park’s horse barn complex, 7-year-old Kyro Down – a Maine standardbred pace horse – kept playfully tugging at Nye’s jacket and pockets, presumably hoping for either a neck rub, pat on the head, or maybe even a carrot.

“They’re either really attached to you or not at all,” said Nye, who had a quick answer when asked what it was he likes so much about horses.

“They don’t talk back,” he said with a hearty laugh. “Actually, I wish they could talk at times.”

If Nye’s horses could talk, they’d have a lot to say and plenty of bragging rights. Four days into the 124th racing season at Bangor Raceway, Nye-trained horses are batting .700.

Nye’s horses have finished in the top five and earned purse money in seven of the 10 races they’ve raced. Four of those finishes in the money were wins and two others were places (runners-up).

“I had a good beginning,” Nye said in the understatement of the season so far. “No, that’s not too typical. I’ve had some good years, but this is the best opener I’ve ever had.”

Horsemen can be a superstitious lot, but Nye isn’t concerned about using up his karma too early.

“I’m a little superstitious on race day – you don’t cut a horse’s hair or shoe him, stuff like that – but I’ll take my wins when I get ’em,” he said.

Kyro Down and Rich Camelot are leading Nye’s charge with a win and a place apiece. Rich Camelot turned in the best time of the early season when he won Bangor’s opening-day race for winners of more than $10,000 lifetime in 1 minute, 57.1 seconds. Mr Punch and Mugsy McGraw are the other Nye-trained winners so far.

Nye’s hot start comes on the heels of his most successful racing season. Last year, horses he trained accounted for 30 wins, “about 22” places, and “20-something” shows (thirds).

Nye’s horses must feel like starting pitchers waiting out a rain delay after striking out the side in the first two innings now that racing is on hiatus for two weeks while Bass Park hosts a forestry exposition.

“Training’s not the same as racing. Older horses with that much time off, arthritis can set in a little. Young horses are higher strung, and they get edgy if they haven’t raced awhile,” said Nye, who started working with horses at age 10. “I’m taking Mugsy and Mr Punch to Scarborough Saturday and see if I can get Kyro in there Monday. I really hate to give him a break for 10 days. I’d rather keep him sharp. If I can get ’em all in, that’ll be enough.”

Nye said the break isn’t all bad. It will give him some extra time to work in the barn and spend time with the horses to “sound them up” a bit.

The Hermon High School graduate has never had a big desire to drive. He prefers to work with horses in a more up close and personal way.

“I’ve worked around them and helped train them my whole childhood, but I didn’t start officially training until 1997 or ’98,” said Nye. “I don’t drive. Once in a blue moon I will, but I’d rather train. I drove five at Rochester one year and I’ve driven qualifiers, but I haven’t in a few years. I try to leave that up to pros.”

That hasn’t stopped him from owning horses. He owns two outright and has half ownership in another.

Nye runs a family operation. He and 15-year-old son Chris do most of the work and training, but wife Bobbi and stepson Joey help out as well.

“I was born right here in Bangor and practically raised right here at the racetrack. My dad [Gerald] was in the business for 60 years or so,” Nye said. “There are still some family-run operations around, but not nearly as many as there used to be.”

Andrew Neff can be reached at 990-8205, 1-800-310-8600 or at aneff@bangordailynews.net