America’s feelgood horse Cody’s Wish stormed back into the upper reaches of the world rankings with a commanding performance on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs on Saturday [May 6].
The Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner completed a G1 hat-trick as he cruised to a 4¾-length victory under Junior Alvarado on his five-year-old debut in the $750,000 Churchill Downs Stakes.
After a six-month layoff, Godolphin’s homebred son of Curlin returns at #6 on Thoroughbred Racing Commentary’s Global Rankings, which are led by Japanese superstar Equinox.
Cody’s Wish has now won eight of his last nine starts – he was second in the other one – including his last five races. He has earned national celebrity well beyond the racing world in the US. The horse is named after Cody Dorman, who suffers from the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome.
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Cody and his family were on hand to be part of an emotional win at Churchill Downs, where Cody’s Wish was held up towards the rear before storming down the centre of the stretch.
“With this horse winning, it’s really way more than a horse race,” said trainer Bill Mott. “Cody Dorman and Cody’s Wish make it something special. When this horse came back after the race, and hearing the crowd, they were going crazy up there, more than they normally cheer for any other race. And the horse is just so great. He’s been showing up every time. He has been off since the Breeders’ Cup, but it sure looked like he was ready today.
“I get choked up easily, but when he was walking over, my assistant Kenny [McCarthy] said he paused, and he looked at Cody, and said it was almost like there is a connection there. Usually, we don’t see that in horses. For what reason, the horse knows something is special.”
The return of Cody’s Wish was by some measure the most uplifting story at Churchill Downs over a Derby weekend overshadowed by a spate of equine fatalities.
As a result, Derby favourite Forte (world #5) was a controversial vet scratch and as it stands, he will not be able to run in the Preakness.
In Forte’s absence, his Florida Derby victim Mage (#39 from #620, +472pt) – never before successful in graded company – won the $3m event by a length from the gallant Two Phil’s (#56 from #122, +131pt) with Angel Of Empire closing late for third (#15 from #33, +65pt). The latter’s high estate can be explained by his already being a G1 winner by virtue of his impressive Arkansas Derby success – but clearly there is much to play for in the US Classic generation.
Some big names were back in action in Europe, where the 2021 Derby winner Adayar gets back on the charts at #13 after a comfortable win in the rescheduled G2 Gordon Richards Stakes at Newmarket.
Chaldean’s hugely popular 2000 Guineas success under Frankie Dettori is rewarded with a spot at #26, while 1000 Guineas heroine Mawj enters the charts at #84.
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