Cody's Wish

Cody’s Wish needed four starts to earn his first career win, finishing third in three straight races before a breakthrough win Oct. 2, 2021, at Churchill Downs in a one-mile maiden special weight race. The bay Curlin colt followed with back-to-back allowance victories at the Louisville track to close out his 3-year-old season on a three-race winning streak.

Cody’s Wish returned from a 3 ½-month layoff to make his 4-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Michelob Ultra Challenger Stakes on March 12, 2022 at Tampa Bay Downs, where he finished second by a neck to highly regarded Scalding. Shipped back to New York by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for his next start, Cody’s Wish pressed the pace on a sloppy track in the Grade 3 Westchester Stakes May 7 at Belmont Park, seized command near the top of the stretch, and powered well clear to a dominant win, completing one mile on the sloppy-sealed track in 1:34.68 for his first stakes win. He followed that with yet another stakes win at Churchill Downs on July 4 in the $173,000 Hanshin Cup, prevailing by a neck at one mile in a fast time of 1:34.

The emergence of Cody's Wish as a top-level stakes performer became complete at Saratoga on Aug. 27 when he was victorious in the $600,000 Grade 1 Forego Stakes, in which he stalked a contested pace and flew past the leaders in the stretch to post the major upset over heavily favored Jackie's Warrior. Cody's Wish went off as the 8-1 odds second choice on the tote board and paid $18.00 to win. The Forego was the second graded stakes win and first Grade 1 victory for Cody’s Wish, who was ridden by Junior Alvarado in all of his stakes victories so far.

By this time, the inspirational story behind Cody’s Wish’s name had become well-known to racing fans. Cody’s Wish was named after Cody Dorman, a young man born with a rare genetic disorder that made him unable to speak or walk. Cody Dorman and his family first met his future namesake when the colt was a foal at Godolphin’s Gainesborough Farm in Kentucky as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s program. The pair formed a bond that grew during subsequent visits as Cody’s Wish began his racing career.

The Dorman family was present to watch Cody’s Wish’s next start in the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on Nov. 5. Cody's Wish sat farther off the pace than usual after a slow start in the Dirt Mile, but he closed from last in a nine-horse field and rallied in the lane to challenge leading Cyberknife in a duel through deep stretch until ultimately prevailing for the Breeders' Cup victory by a head. Cody's Wish ran the mile in a time of 1:35.33 and delivered as the 2-1 favorite.

After a six-month layoff, Cody's Wish returned for the start of his 5-year-old campaign on the May 6, 2023 Kentucky Derby undercard in the Grade 1 $750,000 Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs. Sent off as the .72-1 odds-on favorite in a nine-horse field in the Churchill Downs, Cody's Wish came from last and then blew by the field on the turn, took the lead in the stretch, and extended to an easy 4 3/4-length victory.

Cody's Wish pushed his perfect record at the distance of one mile to 7-for-7 when he next won perhaps the most important race of his career in the Grade 1 $1 million Metropolitan Mile Handicap on June 10, 2023 at Belmont Park. After a slow start from the rail post position, Cody's Wish raced near the back of the pack and was blocked behind horses for much of the race before being angled out of traffic by jockey Junior Alvarado into the stretch. Cody's Wish got clear and turned on the jets in the lane to extend to a dominant 3 1/4-length victory in a time of 1:34.36. The Met Mile was a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" race, meaning that Cody's Wish guaranteed himself a spot in the starting gate to defend his title in the 2023 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Cody's Wish attempted a stretchout to two turns for his next race, which came in the Grade 1 $1 million Whitney Stakes at Saratoga going 1 1/8 miles on Aug. 5.  He was unsuccessful that day. He broke slowly, laid off the pace, and could not offer a rally en route to a non-threatening third-place finish.

In his comeback race from the Whitney, Cody’s Wish broke poorly but recovered and wore down pacesetter Accretive in the Oct. 1 Vosburgh Stakes during the Belmont at the Big A meet in New York. Cody’s Wish earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint with the win, in addition to the berth to the Dirt Mile he earned earlier in the year.

On Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park, Cody’s Wish made his final career start – a repeat bid in the Dirt Mile. He sat well off the pace set by Preakness Stakes winner National Treasure until nearing the far turn, when Junior Alvarado urged him into contention. Cody’s Wish responded and picked off contenders as the field wheeled into the stretch. Taking aim on a game National Treasure, Cody’s Wish matched strides with that foe and prevailed by a nose at the finish. The Santa Anita stewards examined the stretch run to determine whether some light bumping in the final strides warranted a change in the running order, but ruled unanimously to let the result stand.

The connections of Cody’s Wish, Cody Dorman, and his family celebrated in the Santa Anita’s winner’s circle for one final time; sadly, Cody Dorman died the next day at age 17 during the flight back to Kentucky. Cody’s Wish retired with a career record of 11 wins in 16 starts, and his achievements for 2023 netted him recognition as Horse of the Year on Jan. 25, 2024, at the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards ceremony.

Grade 1 winner Dance Card, by Tapit is the dam (mother) of Cody’s Wish as well as multiple graded stakes-placed winner Endorsed.