In the weeks leading up to the Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, it seemed everyone wanted to get a glimpse of Godolphin's Cody's Wish , the horse that tugged at America's heartstrings.
The story was a warm one. The 5-year-old horse and his relationship with Kentucky teenager Cody Dorman, who is unable to walk or speak after being born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, was the most popular narrative in horse racing.
The ode lost a little steam when Cody's Wish's six-race winning streak ended with a third-place finish in the Whitney. Before the Whitney, people of all walks of life seemed to find their way to Mott's barn.
"And they still do," Mott said outside his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. "It's a great story and I think the story is still kind of going on. People realize he is a good horse. I guess if he would have won it would have been more hype than there is now."
The son of Curlin was well-beaten in the Whitney as White Abarrio was 6 1/4 lengths ahead of Zandon , who was 3 3/4 lengths in front of Cody's Wish. The Whitney was 1 1/8 miles, a distance that is just out of the range of Cody's Wish. He had only run that far once before and finished third, beaten 5 3/4 lengths in the second start of his career, at Saratoga, on July 28, 2021.
There is still time for the Cody's Wish-Cody Dorman saga to pick up steam again. There will be at least two more races this year, the first being the $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack Sept. 30 and then a return to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), a race he won last year, at Santa Anita Park Nov. 4.
"I am sure that will most likely be the last race of his career, so it would be nice to go out on a winning note," Mott said. "Look, I certainly wasn't overjoyed by (Whitney loss). I would rather he would have won it but I am always in the hope that he comes back well and we can have another go at it."
What made the Whitney extra special was that Cody Dorman and his family made the trip to Saratoga to watch their favorite horse. They watched from the winner's circle but quickly departed after Cody's Wish was defeated.
"If you are taking them over, every time you risk getting them beat," Mott said. "If you are worried about getting them beat, you wrap them up in bubble wrap, send them to the farm and say that is enough."
In the two starts before the Whitney, Cody's Wish won the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) and the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.
"That is a career for most horses," Mott said. "If you had any horse and you could say if all you could win would be the sprint at Churchill Downs and the Met Mile, you would say that is pretty good. He has had a good run."
