In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.
A day before capturing the final leg of the Triple Crown with 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit), Godolphin unveiled another sophomore to keep an eye on during the GI Belmont Stakes Racing Festival.
Sent off as the 3-1 second favorite on debut, Cody's Wish (c, 3, Curlin-Dance Card, by Tapit) raced in a close fourth through an opening quarter in :22.68 over the harrowed, muddy going. Caught in some traffic on the far turn and shuffled back to sixth three furlongs from home, Junior Alvarado steered the bay out into the clear at the top of the stretch. He leveled off nicely from there to report home a strong third, beaten 3 3/4 lengths, behind new 'TDN Rising Star' Mahaamel (Into Mischief). Cody's Wish, trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, came home in a field-best final furlong of :12.41 and earned a very strong 92 Beyer Speed Figure. The final time for seven furlongs was 1:22.46.
The Godolphin homebred is out of Dance Card, heroine of the 2012 GI Gazelle S. and third-place finisher behind two-time champion Groupie Doll (Bowman's Band) in the following year's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint in her career finale. The $750,000 Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-old has also produced the GSP Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) and the SP Bocephus (Medaglia d'Oro). She had a colt by Into Mischief this year.
The Curlin over Tapit cross is also responsible for Tenfold, the 2018 GII Jim Dandy S. winner and GI Preakness S. third-place finisher.
“He had been showing promise in the mornings,” Godolphin USA President Jimmy Bell said. “It was a gallant first effort-he found some trouble and learned quite a bit. He showed good determination in persevering to finish a closing third. We are looking forward to running him back at Saratoga at either seven-eighths or 1 1/8 miles.”
Bell added that Cody's Wish was named in honor of Godolphin's Make-A-Wish guest in the fall of 2019 at Keeneland.
Previous standouts featured in 'Second Chances' include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GII Los Alamitos Futurity winner and MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), and MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).
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