by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — As a senior at Chrisman (Ill.) High School in 2014, Wyatt Avenatti finished second in the state in the 800 meters and also earned The Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette’s Athlete of the Week for winning the Danville Open Indoor Invitational.

In his interview with the N-G, Avenatti said that in five years he will “hopefully be an assistant basketball coach in college.”

A year later, those dreams have been slightly altered.

“I’d like to be,” he said, “one of the top drivers in the nation.”

The 19-year-old isn’t being boastful when he says that. He is, in fact, quite humble. He didn’t even reveal his impressive success in the 800 during an interview, prompting his dad, David, to take the phone and say ‘He’s way too modest to ever tell you this, but he was second in the state of Illinois in the 800 meters.’”

Photo courtesy of Wyatt Avenatti

Wyatt Avenatti has won three times this year in 26 trips behind the starting gate.

What Wyatt did note about his track background, which included running cross country, is that it has helped him working with horses.

“It’s so crazy how similar they are — running cross country and track, and training and driving horses,” Avenatti said. “With a lot of the training, what you want to do with the horse is the same thing as when you’re running yourself.”

Whatever he’s doing, it’s working. Avenatti got his provisional license in the early spring and gained his first career driving win on June 14, piloting 8-year-old trotting mare Fox Valley Sienna to victory at Kentucky’s Players Bluegrass Downs.

Wyatt had 11 drives before hitting the winner’s circle, which included a trio of third-place finishes.

“It was a little frustrating,” he said. “I’ve always been an athlete and been pretty decent, so, taking (12) races to get my first win was frustrating but it taught me a lot on how to drive and how to race a horse.”

Wyatt upheld a family tradition when he won with Fox Valley Sienna. The horse was trained by David, who also won a number of races behind her. Two years ago, older brother Matthew (now 22) got his first win driving the mare.

“That was a pretty special experience, getting it with the mare that my dad and older brother both won with,” Avenatti said. “The fact my brother and I both got our first win on her really made it special. She’s been doing a great job for us. My dad won an Illinois stakes elimination a few times, he’s had some good success with her.”

In his win at Bluegrass Downs, Wyatt went to the front at the half-mile marker and never looked back.

“I knew my mare had a little more gate speed,” he said. “So I just leaped off the gate, got out front, and timed it out to just outspin everybody.”

The Avenattis own a stable in Chrisman with more than 10 horses. It was a family business that started with Wyatt’s grandfather, Tony.

“When he was a little kid he went to a county fair and decided he would race horses,” Wyatt said. “He waited until he was out of college, got a job, bought some horses and had some good success with them. He quit his job and started training.”

David followed suit, as he graduated from the University of Illinois and then decided to work with horses full time in order to spend time with his four children. Needless to say, they got caught up in it.

“It would definitely be odd not to have horses in my life,” Avenatti said. “No matter what, I always had a horse in the barn. My dad and brother and older sister would spend time out in the barn together, it’s always been a special place for us.”

Wyatt began helping train horses at age 13 and even then he loved the excitement of being in the sulky.

“I think I always wanted to be a driver,” he said. “I love breaking babies and training horses. But I really love driving.”

He got his fair license two years ago and started driving fairs frequently the following year. Since getting his provisional license, he has won two more times since that first victory, all with Fox Valley Sienna. He has driven several other family horses, including one that his little brother, Lane, helps train.

While he has mostly driven Avenatti horses, Wyatt is looking to expand.

“I’m always hoping to drive horses,” he said. “I’m waiting for an opportunity to catch a break, get a couple good drives. Until then, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing.”

David Avenatti noted that both Wyatt and Matthew shoe their own horses and “do a real good job. They shoe them, train them, drive them. He’s a pretty complete horseman.”

Which is a big reason why Wyatt, who also played high school basketball, has given up dreams of being the next Rick Pitino.

“It would have been cool,” he said. “But I would rather drive horses!”