Bridlewood Farm graduate Cody’s Wish does it again.
Before and after the race, the Godolphin son of Curlin greeted his namesake Cody Dorman, a teenager who has a rare genetic disorder known as Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. The horse stopped before the boy on the way into the paddock, and then, after the winner’s circle photo, bowed his head to the boy.
After closing last season with four straight stakes wins capped by a narrow victory in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland, Cody’s Wish was making his 5-year-old debut the $750,000 Derby Day stakes seeking a third straight grade 1 win.
Cody’s Wish is now a perfect five for five at Churchill Downs.
On a day when speed largely prevailed on the Churchill dirt track, Cody’s Wish—as is his typical style—came from off the pace to win by 4 3/4-lengths in the 88th Churchill Downs Stakes for 4-year-olds and up. The time was 1:21.17.
