by Chris Lomon

What could hockey and horse racing possibly have in common? Plenty, if you happen to be Wyatt Farmer.

He was a standout goaltender during his high school days, an athlete who could turn away the toughest competition while simultaneously giving his team the best opportunity to win.

“I loved playing, and we were able to have some success at the school I went to in Toledo (OH),” said Farmer, son of longtime horseman Bill Farmer. “I played varsity in my junior year, but I stopped ahead of my senior year to work with the horses more, learn more, and be around the racetrack.”

Although his ice hockey career has been over for a few years, lessons learned between the pipes have carried over to his time in the standardbred sulky.

“With hockey and horse racing, it is all about teamwork, making sure you are both prepared to be at your best and working together to get the result you are chasing,” Wyatt said. “In hockey, especially as a goalie, you have to have a short memory. If you let a bad goal in, you have to move forward and look ahead to the next shot you face. Same thing with racing; if you don’t win or have a tough trip, you do everything you can to step up the next time. You can’t get down on yourself.”

After one win and a second from three starts to launch his driving career in 2021, Wyatt went 10-11-9 from 56 starts two years ago.

This year, he has eclipsed every single personal best mark, including wins and purse earnings.

One of the major highlights from 2023 came on July 28th at Scioto Downs.

Sitting behind veteran pacing mare Delishka N, a daughter of Bettors Delight—Balishka, Wyatt was chasing his first pari-mutuel victory. He had a good shot of achieving that milestone with the Roy Murphy trainee, who was the slight 7-5 choice in the field of eight.

Farmer had the New Zealand-bred miss ready to roll in the final few strides leading up to the start.

“A week before, the trainer told me that she has the gate speed to get out of there in a hurry and cut the opening quarter in :26-flat,” Wyatt said. “So, we did that, and we ended up going a bit too fast and it didn’t work out. I figured this time that I knew her a little bit better, and we had a bigger chance this time around.”

The pair blasted off the gate and seized control of the $7,000 race at the outset. Delishka N carved out the opening quarter in :26.3 and was still pacing comfortably on top through a half in :56.3.

Nearly 2 lengths clear after reaching the three-quarter mark in 1:24, Wyatt could hear the hoof steps of second choice Alli B Terror and driver Dan Noble attempting to reel them in.

At the wire, 10-year-old Delishka N was a 4 ¾-length winner in a time of 1:52.3. In hockey parlance, it was a game-winning, overtime goal.

“We got much better fractions this time and she ended up just cruising home,” Wyatt said. “She’s a pretty strong-willed horse. She needs an outrider before and after the race, but she knows her job. It was my only drive that day. I ended up dropping my whip after the mile, but that’s okay.

“My father and I drove down together — we might have been coming from a fair that day — so he got to see me win. Leading up to that win, I got caught right on the wire about five times, including with a few of my dad’s horses. The first win is always the hardest, but I know that I will always remember it.”

It prompted recollections of his years leading up to that moment.

“Racing runs in my family,” Wyatt said. “It started with my grandfather and was carried on by my father, who was born in Michigan. He moved to Chicago and started racing horses there, at Balmoral, and the other racetracks there when it was popular.”

Wyatt relished any chance to stand trackside and take in the action.

“I was a little kid and I really enjoyed everything about the racing and the horses,” he said. “I loved watching the drivers, something about it just interested me. It was always a dream to do it. As I got older, I started working with the horses, grooming them, jogging them, and training them. My father taught me a lot.”

That list would include setting personal objectives at the start of each year and then trying to surpass them.

Wyatt was able to eclipse what he set out to accomplish in 2023.

“Before I started driving in the pari-mutuel races, my goal was to get 20 wins on the year,” he said. “I got my provisional license in June, so I set that goal. I hit that just a little while ago and I feel very fortunate to have reached that. I like to set goals, so I will set more of them for 2024. I’ll be driving all year and hopefully, I’ll get some more catch drives.”

He will do it all without a trace of conceit.

“I’m young and I know I’ll have to prove myself,” Wyatt said. “The big thing is to keep pushing forward and challenging myself to get better. I think the goal will be 50 wins for 2024. Hopefully, I’ll get more than that.

“I don’t want to be cocky. I want to keep improving. I think earlier on I didn’t rate a horse as well as I do now. I try not to use the whip too much and I always try to put the horses in play and give them the best chance to win. We all mistakes — in this sport, it will happen — but I want to work out the best trip I can each time.”

Those who watch a race, whether live or on simulcast, will likely be able to pick out the driver fashioning the blue and yellow colors well before the field is sent on its way.

Wyatt will be one of the first, if not the first, to have a horse’s nose on the gate.

“My first ever drive was at a fair,” he said. “I had the 5-hole on a five-wide track, and my dad said, ‘Make sure you are the first one on the gate.’ His biggest pet peeve is when a driver is not one of the first ones on the gate. That’s always stuck with me. I missed it one time from the 8-hole, and he reminded me afterwards. I always do everything I can to get them on the gate, which I think really helps them. I just want myself and the horse to be prepared to be at our best.”

A noble goal, whether it happens to be on the hockey rink or standardbred racetrack.