LEXINGTON, Ky. — Cody’s Wish was the prohibitive betting favorite, but an even stronger sentimental one on the second day of the 39th Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland. The son of Curlin fended off Cyberknife, a Kentucky Derby runner in May, to take the $1 million Dirt Mile.
His namesake, a teenager named Cody Dorman, was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder that affects many parts of the body. Dorman is unable to walk or speak verbally, but is able to communicate via a tablet. He befriended the horse that would later bear his name as a foal four years ago.
“He found me, and he hasn’t forgotten me,” Dorman said in a pre-race segment produced by NBC Sports. “He has always looked for me, and we have the same heart and the same drive. We never give up.”
