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Stars Align for Cody’s Wish and Namesake Cody Dorman

Cody's Wish (Curlin), winner of the GIII Westchester S. in his most recent start, is the morning-line favorite in a field of seven in Monday's Hanshin S. at Churchill Downs. The 4-year-old Bill Mott trainee is a homebred for Godolphin out of 2012 GI Gazelle S. victress Dance Card (Tapit), also the dam of MGSP Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro).

None of those details really matter much to Cody Dorman, a 16-year-old from Richmond, Kentucky who shares a special bond with the improving son of Curlin. Cody, an avid racing fan ever since Cody's Wish came onto the scene, has been eagerly awaiting the day that his namesake would return to Kentucky so that he can see him in the starting gate once again.

Cody was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many parts of the body. According to his father Kelly Dorman, Cody experiences frequent seizures and although he is nonverbal, he is able to communicate through a tablet. His father estimates that he has gone through between 40 and 50 surgeries, ranging from relatively minor procedures to open heart surgery.

“He's a fighter, that's for sure,” Kelly Dorman said. “But he's just like any other country boy. He loves being outside and he has always been interested in animals. He really loves fishing.”

When given a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Cody chose to visit the Bass Pro Shop headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.

It was through the same foundation that Cody first encountered Cody's Wish, who was then just a foal at Gainsborough, when Godolphin hosted Cody and his family at their farm during Keeneland's Make-A-Wish Day in the fall of 2018.

Cody and Cody's Wish meet for the first time | photo courtesy Kelly Dorman

Danny Mulvihill, the farm manager at Gainsborough, recalls the day vividly.

“We knew Cody was in a wheelchair, but we were hopeful that we could get a foal to at least come close to Cody,” he said. “We picked this Curlin colt because at the time he was very laid back. When we pulled the foal out, he just kept inching closer and closer until he had his head in Cody's lap. You could just see Cody's eyes light up.”

“It was one of those magical moments,” Dorman explained. “I looked at Danny and told him that if this horse has half the heart that Cody has, he was going to do some great things.”

Not long after his visit to Gainsborough, Cody went through a serious complication when a blood vessel burst in his stomach. He spent Thanksgiving in the hospital and nearly went into shock, but was able to make it home in time for Christmas. When he visited Santa Claus, Cody asked for money for Christmas so that he could give it to Make-A-Wish. Through several fundraisers, he was able to raise enough money for another child to receive a wish.

The team at Godolphin had kept in touch with the Dorman family since their visit and when it came time to name the bay Curlin colt that Cody had once met, Mary Bourne, the office manager at Gainsborough, came up with Cody's Wish.

Around the time that Cody's Wish turned two, Cody lost his grandfather. Soon after, the pandemic forced the Dorman family to lock down harder and for longer than most.

“Even with everything he's been through, I would never have said that Cody was battling depression until that fall,” Dorman said. “I told my wife that we needed to do something to combat this, so we called Mary and asked about the horse. They hadn't seen each other since the first time they met.”

They arranged a meeting to see Cody's Wish, but were warned that the colt had developed into a high-strung juvenile and that they probably wouldn't be able to get too close.

Cody visits a 2-year-old Cody's Wish | Hallie Hardy

“They brought that horse out of the barn and he took my breath away,” Dorman recalled. “He turned his head and set his eyes on Cody and never took his eyes off him the whole time. He went up to Cody and let him rub his nose. Cody has a few sounds that he makes when he's happy, but I can count on one hand the times I've heard a deep belly laugh from him. As soon as that horse locked onto him, he started doing it. It was like a switch flipped. He was still a little down, but this was the spark he needed to get going.”

Cody's Wish made his debut at Belmont Park in June last year, but had a troubled trip and settled for third. Back in Kentucky, Cody insisted that he needed to be present for the race in order for the horse to make it to the winner's circle. Sure enough, Cody's Wish ran third twice more at Saratoga last summer, but broke his maiden in the fall at Churchill Downs with his namesake looking on.

“It's one of those stories that at every corner, it just seems like it was meant to be,” Mulvihill explained. “It's very hard to question that there is not some form of higher communication there, because Cody has gotten it right every time with where he says that horse will finish. For that first win at Churchill, we couldn't bring Cody into the paddock  but as they walked past, Cody's Wish stopped and locked eyes with Cody.”

As Cody's Wish claimed two allowance races at Churchill Downs that fall, Cody's bedroom began accumulating win photos, saddle towels and racing memorabilia. When it was nearly time for Cody's Wish to head south for the winter, the Dormans planned one last surprise visit to the backside at Churchill Downs as an early birthday present for Cody.

“He went to his therapy session two days before we were going to go, but he wouldn't do anything,” Dorman said. “He was throwing a fit. We got his tablet out and he asked what we were trying to hide from him. He said he didn't like surprises and needed to know if it had to do with his horse. So we finally told him because he wasn't going to do anything until he found out what was going on.”

The team at Bill Mott's barn staged a party on the backside where birthday cake was distributed to all, including to Cody's Wish.

Dorman said that Cody has predicted the outcomes of both of the 4-year-old's races this year. After a sleepless night before the GIII Challenger S. at Tampa Bay, Cody said the colt would run second. Cody's Wish lost by a neck. Cody again foretold the win in the GIII Westchester S.

Godolphin's Director of Bloodstock Michael Banahan said that after the Westchester, the original plan was to send Cody's Wish to the GI Metropolitan H. but a bout of fever two weeks before the race pushed back the timing of his next start. Now, their team is feeling confident going into Monday's Hanshin S.

“He's been training well and we're really happy with him,” Banahan said. “He got in a nice work last Monday in Saratoga. He's undefeated at Churchill going a one-turn mile, so he likes the track there and we're anticipating that he'll be ready to go.”

Cody is also predicting a positive outcome on Monday, when he will once again be in attendance to see Cody's Wish for the first time this year.

“I've always said that those two speak some kind of language that I can't hear or don't understand,” Dorman said. “I just enjoy watching it. Godolphin has been awesome. There aren't words to express our gratitude with the way they've treated us and Churchill Downs has done the same thing.”

Banahan explained that he believes the stars have continued to align as this story plays out.

“When Cody first came out to the farm, Danny could have introduced him to any horse and it happened to be this one,” he said. “For him to turn out to be a good racehorse was special and who knows if there was some divine intervention where we ended up being disappointed in those first three races in New York, but when he went to Churchill the family got to be there when it happened. We're just grateful that we have been able to play a small role in Cody's life and for him to get some joy out of seeing this horse run.”

Mary Bourne, who picked out the name for the colt in the beginning and now attends the races with the Dorman family, said she can hardly control her nerves whenever Cody's Wish steps into the starting gate.

“He has pulled through every time, bless his heart,” she said. “It's so special for Cody's parents to see these moments because they relish them. They don't get that every day. That first race, everyone was in tears–myself, Danny, the assistant trainer–because you see what it means to them when you're there. Nobody gets cheered for more than Cody's Wish when he's coming down the straightaway. We hope this fairytale just keeps going.”

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Maxfield Ends Racing Career With Clark Victory, Heads To Jonabell For 2022 Breeding Season

Godolphin's homebred Maxfield is set to travel back to Darley's Jonabell Farm in Lexington after winning his career finale in Friday's $750,000 Grade 1 Clark presented by Norton Healthcare at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Maxfield, a now multiple Grade I-winning colt by Street Sense, will stand at his owner's farm in 2022.

“The plan worked out very well for us. With Essential Quality running in the Breeders' Cup, it gave us a chance to run him here in the Clark,” said Michael Banahan, Director of Farm Operations for Godolphin. “It's a vision of Sheikh Mohammad to achieve best results we can, especially with our homebreds. This gave us an opportunity to split those horses. It was a great result for Brendan (Walsh) and team who nursed Maxfield through ups and downs the last three years. He was a top 2-year-old and it was devastating not able to run in the Breeders' Cup. Then he came back and looked like we are on the (Kentucky) Derby trail, only to have another setback. It's just been a great team effort to keep him at that level.”

Maxfield remained stabled in Walsh's Barn 9 Saturday morning at Churchill Downs but is scheduled to head to retirement in the coming days.

With his victory in the Clark, Maxfield earned a 100 Brisnet Speed Rating while improving his record to a perfect 5-for-5 at Churchill Downs. He's scheduled to stand for $40,000 at Darley.

The post Maxfield Ends Racing Career With Clark Victory, Heads To Jonabell For 2022 Breeding Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Belle Street, Half Sister To Eight Belles, Leads Saturday Session At Keeneland

Gary Broad/Walmac Farm paid $550,000 for the 3-year-old Street Sense mare Belle Street, a half-sister to Grade 2 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Eight Belles, who is carrying her first foal by Bernardini, to post the highest price of Saturday's fourth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, Ky.

Saturday marked another day of robust trade at the November Sale when 252 horses sold for $19,981,500, for an average of $79,292 and a median of $65,000. During the fourth session last year, total sales reached $13,141,000 for 226 horses, for an average of $58,146 and a median of $43,500.

Cumulative sales this year are $146,615,500 for 838 horses, for an average of $174,959 and a median of $120,000. Through the same period last year, the gross was $115,669,000 for 747 horses, for an average of $154,845 and a median of $90,000.

Godolphin consigned Belle Street, who is out of stakes winner Away, by Dixieland Band, and also from the family of Grade 3 winners Sky Captain and Belong to Me.

“She's a good-looking mare from a very good family,” Michael Banahan, Director of Farm Operations, Godolphin USA, said. “We didn't anticipate she was going to make that much money. But it's been so strong here since the sale started. She made well over her reserve. You can probably put an extra 20-35 percent on top of what we were valuing the mares at. It's just an unbelievably strong market.

Leading sire Bernardini, who died in July, stood for Godolphin at Darley at Jonabell.

Banahan said the Godolphin consignment is “part of what we do every year, trying to streamline our broodmare band.” Selling mares such as Belle Street represents an opportunity for breeders to buy mares from top-quality Godolphin families.

“Anytime we've brought mares to the sale, even when we haven't sold them ourselves, people are very keen to try to get into these families,” Banahan said. “They've done well for other people as well. That's why they are so popular.”

Gainesway Farm paid $340,000 for the day's second highest-priced horse, Trophy Wife, a 12-year-old daughter of Giant's Causeway, who has produced two stakes-placed runners, High Tech and Power Move, and is in foal to Mastery.

Claiborne Farm, agent, consigned Trophy Wife, whose dam is Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) winner Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold. The family also includes Grade 1 winner Guarana and Grade 2 winner Country Hideaway.

Multiple stakes winner and Grade 3-placed I'm Betty G, a 7-year-old daughter of Into Mischief in foal to Improbable, sold to Stoneriggs Farm for $275,000. Consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent, she is out of Lady in Ermine, by Honour and Glory, and from the family of stakes winners Sadler's Sarah, Commonsensical and Truth and Nobility.

Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent, was the session's leading consignor with sales of $2,571,000 for 23 horses.

Taylor Made consigned the session's fourth highest-priced horse, stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Ask Bailey, a 4-year-old daughter of Run Away and Hide cataloged as a racing or broodmare prospect, to Mulholland Springs for $255,000. Ask Bailey is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Codoy and from the family of Grade 1 winners Graydar and Ron the Greek and Grade 2 winner Musket Man. Her dam is Puype's Dream, by Kris S.

Taylor Made also sold the $210,000 top-priced weanling, a filly by Nyquist purchased by Bolter Bloodstock. Out of Chifa, by Orientate, she is from the family of Grade 1 winners Dream Tree and Golden Ticket and Grade 2 winners Academy Award and Magical Feeling.

Code of Honor LLC/L.E.B., agent, paid $1 million for eight horses to lead buyers.

The November Sale resumes Sunday at 10 a.m. ET and continues through Friday, Nov. 19.

The Nov. 19 session will conclude with a single dedicated portion of horses of racing age following the conclusion of breeding stock. A total of 285 horses of racing age have been cataloged to the closing day and will follow the total of 148 head of breeding stock in the catalog.

Keeneland will accept supplements to the horses of racing age section through mid-November.

Click here for the online catalog for the horses of racing age in Session 10 of the November Sale. The entire auction is streamed live on Keeneland.com.

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Belle Street Stars Saturday at Keeneland

LEXINGTON, KY – With Godolphin's Belle Street (Street Sense) leading the way at $550,000, the Book 3 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale opened Saturday with strong results as the 10-day auction continues to track well ahead of 2020 figures.

During Saturday's session, 252 head grossed $19,981,500. The session average of $79,292 was up 36.37% from the corresponding 2020 figure and the median of $65,000 was up 49.43%. With 78 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 23.64%. It was 24.67% a year ago.

Through four sessions, 838 head have sold for $146,615,500. The average of $174,959 is up 12.99% from a year ago and the median of $120,000 is up 33.33%. The buy-back rate stands at 22.62%, down from 27.41% in 2020.

The unraced Belle Street, who sold to Gary Broad, was one of 15 mares sold by Godolphin Saturday for gross receipts of $2.17 million.

“It's the same with everything we've had go through the ring so far,” said Godolphin's Michael Banahan. “You can probably put an extra 20, 30, 35% on top what we were valuing the mares at. It's just been an unbelievably strong market.”

Town and Country Horse Farm president Shannon Potter acquired two mares Saturday.

“It's been strong. It's been very strong,” Potter said. “Especially at Fasig and here the first few days. We were really frustrated going into the second day trying to get something bought. But it's great for the business. I love to see it thriving like this.”

Peter O'Callaghan purchased the session's top-priced weanling, going to $210,000 to acquire a daughter of Nyquist (hip 1183) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

“She was our pick of the day,” O'Callaghan said of the pinhooking prospect. “I thought we would get her for a couple of bids less and we were hoping to get her for less than $200,000. That was absolutely our last bid.”

Of the foal market at Keeneland this week, O'Callaghan said, “It's extremely competitive for those top foals. There was plenty of racing money here early and some strong pinhooking groups, so whatever you value them at, even if you value them generously, you almost have to add $50,000 to it. So it's tough. We bought fewer foals and our expenditure might be even more than last year. It doesn't make for a good sum, but it is what it is. We just keep moving on.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m.

 

Belle Street Tops Saturday Returns

The unraced Belle Street (Street Sense) (hip 1153), a half-sister to Eight Belles (Unbridled's Song) and in foal to the late Bernardini, drew a crowd of admirers before selling for $550,000 to the bid of Gary Broad of Walmac Farm.

The 3-year-old mare was bred and consigned by Godolphin and was the highlight of an offering of 15 mares from Sheikh Mohammed's operation which sold for $2.17 million at Keeneland Saturday.

“She is a good-looking mare from a very good family,” Godolphin's Michael Banahan said of Belle Street. “With the market that is in here, we didn't anticipate that she would bring that kind of money, but it's been so strong here since the sales started at Fasig. She deserved to make plenty of money, but again she made well over what we would have valued her at and what her reserve was.”

Belle Street was one of nine mares Godolphin sold Saturday in foal to its champion Bernardini, who passed away in July. That group, which also included the $215,000 Tactical Move (First Defense), grossed $1,525,000.

Bernardini has earned a reputation as a stellar broodmare sire and Banahan said many potential buyers were hopeful of buying mares carrying fillies by the late stallion.

“We don't fetal sex any of our mares and everybody wants to know if they are carrying a filly or not,” Banahan said. “That's the reason they want to buy these mares in foal to him. He's been a fantastic stallion for us and he's turned into an unbelievable broodmare sire. Everyone is trying to get a filly out of these mares. But his colts aren't too bad either on the racetrack.”

Godolphin's offerings Saturday were a normal part of maintaining the operation's broodmare band, according to Banahan.

“It's part of what we do every year, just trying to streamline our broodmare band,” he said. “We have to keep the quality as best we can at the top.”

Among buyers who have had success buying from Godolphin in past Keeneland November sales is the O'Farrell family's Ocala Stud, which purchased Indelible (Tiznow), a half-sister to Godolphin's 2020 champion juvenile Essential Quality (Tapit), for $130,000 at the 2019 November and resold her Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton for $1.6 million.

“Anytime we have brought mares to sale, people are very keen to try to get into the Godolphin families,” Banahan said. “They have done very well for other people as well. We are going to keep 'X' amount of mares and keep the quality up as much as we can. And that's a matter of culling some mares and some of them are going to turn into very valuable commercial mares for other people as well. Buying mares from any of the great owner/breeders–which Godolphin would be one–everyone is drawn to those families because you can't get into them. There are great opportunities getting into them. Maybe they skip a generation, but they are usually there and they will come back again. And that's why they are so popular.”

Essential Quality (Tapit), meanwhile, is back home at Jonabell Farm and preparing to start his stud career next year.

“He's been busy and settled in very well,” Banahan said of the champion. “He's a fantastic horse to have on the farm again. He's been shown the last couple of days and he's like a professional out there. We are very proud of him and I think he'll have a great career as a stallion. We are excited to have him out there.”

Essential Quality's dam Delightful Quality is currently in foal to Tapit and is expected to be bred back to that Gainesway stallion next year. Her 2-year-old Famed (Uncle Mo) was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after her maiden score at Churchill Downs Oct. 30 and the Brad Cox-trained filly is expected to make her next start in the Nov. 27 GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill, according to Banahan.

 

Trophy Wife to Gainesway

Larkin Armstrong signed the ticket at $340,000 to acquire the 12-year-old mare Trophy Wife (Giant's Causeway) (hip 1083), in foal to Mastery, from the Claiborne Farm consignment Saturday at Keeneland.

“It's a wonderful family and [Gainesway owner] Antony Beck loved her,” Armstrong said. “We thought it was a great opportunity to get into an amazing family.”

Bred by Phipps Stable, Trophy Wife is a daughter of

GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Pleasant Home (Seeking the Gold) and is a half-sister to Grade I-placed Pleasant Orb (Orb), as well as to Magical World (Distorted Humor), who produced Grade I winner Guarana (Ghostzapper) and SW/GSP Magic Dance (More Than Ready).

Last Tuesday, Magical World sold for $5.2 million and Guarana sold for $4.4 million at the Fasig-Tipton November sale.

“We loved Guarana and Magical World,” Armstrong said. “They obviously brought several million each. Hopefully we can get some nice foals from this mare.”

Trophy Wife is already the dam of stakes-placed High Tech (Data Link) and Power Move (More Than Ready).

Larkin was back in action for Gainesway late in Saturday's session, purchasing Pink Caddy (El Padrino) (hip 1403) for $240,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment.

 

Town and Country Restocks

Town and Country Farms added Tactical Move (First Defence) (hip 1060) to its broodmare band when farm president Shannon Potter signed the ticket at $215,000 early in Saturday's fourth session of the Keeneland November sale. From the Godolphin consignment, the 4-year-old mare sold in foal to the late Bernardini. She is a daughter of Grade I winner Game Face and a half-sister to graded-placed Coliseum (Tapit).

“She has a really good pedigree and we like the physical,” Potter said of the mare's appeal. “And she's in foal to a horse who's no longer with us. We really like Bernardini. So we are trying to get a few more before they are all gone.”

Tactical Move was Town and Country's fourth purchase at Keeneland this week. The operation also acquired I Dare U (Daredevil) (hip 129) for $450,000; Celestial Kitten (Kitten's Joy) (hip 793) for $125,000; and Dreamalildreamofu (Commissioner) (hip 834) for $235,000.

Later in Saturday's session, Town and Country purchased Bazinga Baby (Afleet Alex) (hip 1145) for $170,000.

“We are selling quite a few mares here at the sale, just trying to cull out some, and add to the top,” Potter explained.

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