Do You Believe in Miracles?

I don't often write about non-SFR subjects on this blog, because that's not the focus or why readers come here for the content. But this blog is also about great stories, and I want to share a wonderful one with you all that I witnessed over the weekend, because it's generally the kind of tale that normally only happens in fiction. And it pushes the bounds of suspension of disbelief. 

It begins with a boy named Cody who has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder who left Cody without speech or control of his body. His face rarely shows emotion or even an understanding of what's going on around him. But when he speaks, which he does through an electronic tablet, you see immediately that he's more than aware of the world around him and even has a wonderful sense of humor...as well as a very big heart.

Life has not been easy for Cody Dorman. He has suffered some 40-50 operations. He was constantly wracked by seizures. He is wheelchair bound. And he is completely dependent on others to live his life. 

But in 2018, something amazing happened. As part of the Keeneland Make-A-Wish program, Cody asked to meet a horse. A trip was arranged to a very special farm, the Godolphin's Gainesborough Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Cody's parents and organizers were a bit nervous when a six-month-old weanling was brought out to meet Cody. What would the young horse do? Would he spook, or shy away from a boy and in a wheelchair? How would the spirited colt react?

The answer to that was that the foal didn't shy or bolt. He approached Cody slowly and then...put his head in the boy's lap!  

There was an undeniable immediate and instant bond between boy and colt. It was a special moment everyone witnessed that day, and one that Cody never forgot.

But Cody faced some real trials during the isolation of the pandemic and when he was struggling with deep depression, his parents got the idea to take him back to visit "that horse" again. There was even more doubt this time around, because the weanling had grown into a fiesty, strong-willed colt by this time. Cody's safety was in doubt.

But what happened was another miracle. The horse was brought out and kept pulling and pulling until he was able to get to Cody, and those who witnessed it said it was as if the horse knew exactly who Cody was. Their bond was undeniable. 

A year later the farm called to let the young man know the colt had been registered with his official name. They had named him Cody's Wish.

"It feels like a dream," Cody Dorman communicated, upon hearing the news, "I feel so honored for him to be named after me."

When Cody's Wish began racing, he wasn't off to a wonderful start. The story goes that after he lost his first three races, Cody Dorman told his parents that he really needed to be there when the horse ran again. He said, "Cody's Wish will not win until I'm there."

Arrangements were made and Cody was in attendance at the next race scheduled for Cody's Wish. And it became very apparent that the horse had not forgotten his friend. "When he came out of the barn, he locked on Cody, and there was nothing but those two," his dad said

Cody's Wish won the race. And with Cody in attendance, he won the next two in a row. 

It was at that point, in March 2022, that Cody's Wish, now a huge 4-year-old, faced his first big test in a graded stakes race in Tampa Bay. He lost by barely a neck, turning in an impressive speed rating of 109 for the race. And people other than Cody began to take notice of the colt. 

But Cody's bond with the colt was doing wonderful things for the boy, too.

"We can see such a difference in him," his dad, Leslie Dorman said, "Cody was in a very dark place, and this horse changed his life."

Over that summer, Cody's Wish ran two more times, and won the pair of races, turning in faster and faster performances.

And then came his greatest test of all. Cody's Wish was entered into the Grade 1 Forego Stakes on August 27th at Saratoga in New York. A lot was riding on this race. If he won it, he'd earn a ticket into the Breeders Cup Mile -- a race that was only for horses at the top of their game where entry had to be earned.

Cody Dorman was there to support his friend. And Cody's Wish won the race over some impressive competition (including top-ranked Jackie's Warrior) in a jaw-dropping speed figure of 114!

Cody's Wish was going to the Breeders Cup championship to compete with the best horses in the world!

"He will win," Cody announced via his tablet. Though the family knew the chances were slim of the colt winning on the world stage, Cody never lost confidence in his friend. The family was just so grateful for what Cody's Wish had done for Cody.

"We've got a front row seat to the best story in the world right now," Kelly Dorman said days before the big race. 

By now the world had started to get wind of Cody's -- and Cody's Wish's -- story. Here's one summary that was produced for the Breeders Cup weekend coverage.

Everyone knew the colt's chances of winning were slim. The race included horses who were at the top of the sport like Cyberknife, who had run in the Kentucky Derby and won the Haskell Invitation. Though a lot of fans were now rooting for Cody's Wish, everyone knew it was probably an impossible dream. 

So how did it end? Could Cody's Wish maybe eek out a valiant 2nd place? Or even a hard fought 3rd? Could he even hit the board? 

I'll let you see how the story unfolded for yourselves. 

Now do you believe in miracles?

There's a saying that, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a person." I think in this case, the reverse was also true. Congratulations, Cody and Cody's Wish, for making us believe in miracles and very happy endings. 

And for a great story that no one will forget anytime soon.

Have a great week.