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| Staff Writer |
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Godolphin's Cody's Wish, the 5YO horse whose heartwarming bond with a 17YO boy has captured the attention of people across the country, will be making his final appearance in the US$1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Gr.1) this Saturday. Cody Dorman, his biggest supporter, along with his family from Richmond, Kentucky, will be present at Santa Anita to cheer him on in this momentous event.
“He has been a very good horse and this is a great story,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said.
Cody's Wish is a remarkable horse who has yet to miss the board in his 16 career starts. He has won an impressive 10 times, come in second once, and finished third four times. What's more, he has never lost in seven starts at a mile.
Cody, his dad Kelly, his mom Leslie, and his 10YO sister Kylie are all heading to California for the first time. The family will be recognized at the annual National Turf Writers and Broadcasters' Awards Dinner on Wednesday.
Cody has a special connection with the horse, who was named after his friend Cody Dorman. Cody Dorman has a rare genetic disorder called Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, which means he must use a tablet to communicate and is confined to a wheelchair. The two Codys first met when the Make-a-Wish Foundation brought Cody Dorman to Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm in Versailles, Kentucky, in 2018. It was love at first sight, and they have been inseparable ever since.
“From the very start, I never questioned it or tried to figure it out,” Kelly Dorman said. “I appreciated it and admired it for what it is. I know what it does to me. It will make the hair stick up on our neck and send chills down your spine.”
In August, before Cody's Wish ran third in the 1 1/8-mile Whitney Stakes (Gr.1), the Dormans paid him a visit at Saratoga. Trainer Mott brought the horse out of his stall and he went straight to Cody, who was waiting for him. Cody's Wish walked up to his friend's wheelchair and greeted him with a nuzzle, showing their special connection.
“For some reason, there seems to be something there,” Mott said. “Horses tend to be sometimes frightened from something different or they can be very inquisitive. The horse is very inquisitive about him.”
Cody's Wish emerged victorious in the Vosburgh (Gr.2) at Aqueduct during his last race on 1st October. Following the Dirt Mile, Cody's Wish will begin his new profession as a stallion at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. The stud fee will be disclosed after the Breeders' Cup.
“Cody (Dorman) will be able to see him whenever he wants,” Kelly Dorman said. “It’s nice. Cody loves being around the horse and Cody’s Wish loves being around him, too. It’s like they have some kind of language … they speak to each other. You can’t hear it, but you certainly can feel it.”
Junior Alvarado will be the jockey for Cody's Wish in the Dirt Mile. Out of all the 14 races during the two-day Breeders' Cup, Cody's Wish is expected to be the clear favorite among fans and spectators.
“He is going to be the fan favorite and one of the favorites in the race,” Mott said. “It’s a horse race and anything can happen. Wouldn’t it be great if he went out on top? It would be really special for a lot of reasons. Even if the story wasn’t part of it, it would be great, but the story would make it really special.”