Thomas Hamm hopes to see Buzz Lightyear go to the winner’s circle and beyond
by Matthew Lomon
For Buzz Lightyear, sharing a name with the iconic Pixar character is bound to generate plenty of, well, buzz – but as his co-owner and trainer Thomas Hamm admits, the 4-year-old colt’s story didn’t begin as an ode to the Tim Allen-voiced toy.
“When he was born at [breeder] Trena Jeffery’s place, he didn’t start breathing right away,” Hamm said. “One of the treatments for that is to give them a tiny bit of whiskey down the throat, so his weanling name was ‘Buzz.’
“That’s how he started his life – it kick-started something.”
That “something” Hamm is referring to is unlike anything he’s seen across a lifetime in harness racing – one he was born into alongside older brother William, through their father Roger.
Growing up on his family’s farm outside of Lambeth, ON, Thomas had met countless horses, but none quite like Buzz.
His connection to the bay, bred and co-owned by William and raised by Jeffery — the great granddaughter of respected Ontario horseman Russell Miller — was as invigorating as it was instant.
“The day I picked him up, I just had the most fun with the horse – more than I’ve ever had,” Thomas said. “He’s just got so much energy. He’s a character; he’s so fun.”
Awestruck by his new pacer, Thomas was eager to test Buzz Lightyear’s prowess on the racetrack.
However, the initial launch experienced delays.
“He endured a couple of injuries that put a hold on his 2-year-old year,” Thomas said. “He got a little tender in the front feet, that was one of his problems. He was also a little fussy. He had shown no signs of kicking, and then within a few days, he just started kicking.
“He learned it from the other horses in the barn before I was able to kick-proof his stall with rubber mats, so he injured himself there. I took him down to [Dr.] Melissa McKee’s and we did a fluoroscopy.”
The imaging revealed what Thomas described as “remodeling” in the back sesamoid, and with it, came the curtain on Buzz Lightyear’s 2-year-old season.
Still optimistic about the son of Sunfire Blue Chip—Cant Stop’s prospects, Thomas formulated a plan to gradually re-introduce Buzz Lightyear to racing, beginning in September 2024.
“I started jogging him again around then and made a bit of a timeline to train him back down,” he said. “I had to train him back down again, drop him about five seconds a week, and it coordinated that he would be ready mid-to-late February.”
Thomas’ timeline proved precise, as Buzz Lightyear was ready to qualify on March 6 of last year.
The eccentric racehorse made his professional debut 20 days later at The Raceway at Western Fair District, reaching the wire a neck clear for his maiden winner.
For Thomas, the hard-fought victory showed a glimpse of Buzz’s promising ceiling.
“We weren’t going fast at that time, but nobody was,” he said with a laugh about the win in 2:02.
“Then within his next few starts, he started to pace over London pretty quick. In his fifth start, he went in 1:57, so he was getting on his way, and we were getting excited.”
The enthusiasm was put on a brief hold, once again, as Buzz suffered an injury to his cannon bone late in the Western Fair meet.
Unlike last time, however, his absence was not a lengthy one.
“I was lucky enough to be able to turn him out for a month at my friend Dave Beaumont’s place and then start the cycle all over again and get him ready for the London meet in the fall,” Thomas said.
While disappointed the injury prevented Buzz Lightyear from a potential run against Ontario Sires Stakes Prospect or Grassroots series competition, Thomas’ faith never wavered, as there was one silver lining in a turbulent rookie season – driver Tyler Borth.
“We got so lucky to get Tyler first and foremost,” lauded Thomas. “He taught him to race from behind, race off the helmet, and then finish strong.”
After graduating from the Borth school of racing last September, Buzz transferred to a new tutor in driver Samuel Fillion.
“Sam was great with him,” Thomas said. “He really helped me set up his headgear where he was comfortable in the mouth and really straight and really drivable. I can’t say enough about what Sam did with him.”
Fillion’s teachings translated to race days seamlessly, as Buzz collected a pair of wins, two seconds, and a third from five starts with the Mont-Joli, QC-based reinsman.
After Fillion, it was Austin Sorrie, Canada’s leading driver by wins (404) in 2025, who took the reins on Buzz.
Each decorated driver’s contributions proved invaluable.
“We just got the three best drivers at the three best times, and that’s been a major part of his success – building that confidence,” Thomas said. “He’s getting stronger all the time. He’s actually putting on weight as we’re racing him which is incredible.”
Sorrie has remained Buzz Lightyear’s main pilot since taking over on Dec. 5, manning the race bike for eight of the Ontario-bred’s 21 career starts.
The Freelton-based driver, who passed the $12 million lifetime earnings mark this season, has been instrumental in Buzz’s continued development.
“Every week, in increments, not leaps and bounds, something gets better with him,” Thomas said. “Austin had to do the hard work to get him comfortable on the gate. He finished off what Sam was getting him comfortable with, and now he’s really good on the gate. That’s obviously key on a half-mile track.
“He’s really figured him out. He keeps his attention really well. I never asked a lot of him while training, so he really responds to a driver. Instead of me asking him all the time, if a driver asks even a little bit of him, he goes.”
According to Thomas, Buzz’s newfound solace on the gate set in four starts ago – coincidentally, the very stretch that matches his current four-race win streak.
“Austin had to put him on the gate really early and he did a lot of bobbing and weaving and then he just kind of figured it out,” Thomas said. “Austin kind of growled at him and said he just went perfectly straight and put his nose right on the gate. It’s great when that works out, and it did this time. I can’t say enough about how he did it.”
The growl that inspired Buzz to a new level has Thomas bullish on the future for his prized pacer, whose tenacity has been paramount in making up for lost time.
“We’re going to race him until the end of the London meet, and then we’ll see, it’s a day-by-day thing, but if he’s still in good order then we’ll head down to Mohawk,” he said. “It would be amazing to be competitive there at some level.”
The horse he described as “gorgeous,” “tidy,” “efficient,” and “strong” has given Thomas more to look forward to than any he’s ever crossed paths with.
While the light at the end of the tunnel, at times, was dim, their unbreakable bond never stopped burning bright.
“I’ve been doing horses for 40 years and I never had a chance to work with an American Ideal, which [Buzz Lightyear’s sire] Sunfire Blue Chip is, and I thought that was great,” Thomas said. “I know why everybody loves American Ideal offspring, so that was awesome that I got him.
“He’s literally the most fun horse I’ve ever had, and he’s been that way from day one. Every day I look forward to working with him. He’s hard on me, he’s hard on my wrists and elbows but he’s a lot of fun to work with. He’s got such a personality.”
