Horse racing can be a harsh mistress and the funeral of Dean Holland is a stark reminder of the dangers facing jockeys every time they hop into a saddle.
So, it’s in light of such tragedies that the sweet moments are even sweeter still: case in point being the running of the Group 1 Churchill Downs Stakes on Sunday morning our time.
The race was won by Curlin colt, Cody’s Wish, who captured the Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last November and now has eight wins and four placings from 12 starts.
The horse gets his name from Cody Dorman, who suffers from a rare genetic disorder and is confined to a wheelchair and restricted to communicating through a tablet. Not expected to live past the age of 2, Cody recently turned 17.
Through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cody – with his parents and sister – visited Godolphin’s Gainsborough Lodge in Kentucky and was introduced to a Curlin weanling who promptly laid his head on Cody’s lap.
Two years later Cody was suffering from severe depression and his parents decided to take him back to Gainsborough and sure enough that same Curlin colt “kept pulling until again he was right in front of Cody”.
The horse was eventually named Cody’s Wish and despite three successive placings he was a maiden until October 2021.
That’s changed somewhat since as Cody’s Wish has now pulled off eight wins from nine starts, including two Group 1s, and a neck second at Group level.
It has turned around Cody Dorman’s life and certainly those around him.
Sometimes wishes do come true!
