You never know where a story will take you, but when Tom Law sent the assignment to cover the 2022 Forego Stakes at Saratoga Race Course, it would have been unfathomable to envision that leading to a trip see the sea lions in La Jolla Cove two years later.
Yet, there we were Thursday morning – Kelly, Leslie, Kylie Dorman and I – leaning against a rail, looking down at the choppy waters of the Pacific and completely enamored with the slithery mammals below, playing their version of King of the Hill on a rock protruding from the high tide.
The setting was spectacular, making it impossible not to reflect on the life-changing journey that started with the Forego when, after Cody’s Wish pulled a stunning upset over Jackie’s Warrior, Sean Clancy told me, “There’s a story behind that horse. You should look into it.”
That led to a call with Mary Bourne, one of the many on Team Godolphin to welcome the Dormans into their family with the love and affection of parents of a newborn. She connected me with Kelly Dorman, who shared the story of his son, Cody, and the horse that roared down the stretch to win the Forego.
He told me about Cody being born with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, a debilitating genetic disease that doctors predicted would kill him before he was 2. But Cody survived – and thrived, within his myriad physical limitations. Then, one day he met a 5-month-old foal as part of a Make-A-Wish event, and the connection between boy and horse was so immediate and so striking that Godolphin, on Bourne’s recommendation, named him Cody’s Wish.
Several months after the Forego, after writing a few follow-up columns on Cody and “his” horse, I reached out to Kelly and Leslie with an idea: What would you think about a book on Cody’s Wish – to be written by a long-time reporter and first-time author? Thankfully, he and Leslie were willing to take a leap of faith.
For the third consecutive year, the Dormans attended the Breeders’ Cup, this year at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. This year was so different. They are one year removed from Cody’s Wish earning Horse of the Year honors after a campaign that started on the Kentucky Derby undercard and ended with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. The horse had to survive a seven-minute inquiry, the stewards deciding that the culpability for the contact with National Treasure down the stretch was at least equal.
It was the second Dirt Mile for Cody’s Wish, who won the 2022 edition at Keeneland, a home game for the Dormans. At Santa Anita last year, there was one last emotion-filled winner’s circle, with Cody the center of it all, exactly where he belonged. While he was sad that Cody’s Wish, whom he considered his best friend, would not run again, he looked forward to visiting him at Jonabell Farm as he started his career as a stallion.
Cody passed away the next day, a crushing loss for his family and so many in the horse racing world who have been captivated by the story of the inexplicable, yet undeniable bond between Cody and Cody’s Wish.
Leslie and Kelly Dorman have come to accept that, just as Cody’s Wish had completed his job on the track, their son had finished his earthly work. They are comforted to know that their son’s memory is nowhere near the finish line, and the racing community continues to embrace them as part of the family.
The Dormans were the guests of the Breeders’ Cup this weekend and were invited to present the trophy to the connections of the Dirt Mile winner. They were thrilled to accept. And they know their way to the Dirt Mile winner’s circle. NBC produced another Eclipse-worthy piece on Cody’s legacy, with a brilliant twist: It was narrated by Kelly Dorman. Grab a Kleenex – or a box – and give it a watch.
The first draft of the book is nearly complete and there are plans for a feature film, a documentary and a monument being constructed by the incomparable Jocelyn Russell, whose Secretariat masterpiece was unveiled last year. It is humbling that material from the book will be accessible to the people involved in those productions.
From a stakes race at Saratoga to the sea lions in La Jolla, this has been the story of a lifetime.
And for that I am eternally grateful.
