Current:Home > ScamsCody Dorman, who watched namesake horse win Breeders’ Cup race, dies on trip home -FinanceMind
Cody Dorman, who watched namesake horse win Breeders’ Cup race, dies on trip home
View
Date:2025-04-18 10:25:09
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cody Dorman, the teenager who watched his namesake horse Cody’s Wish win at the Breeders’ Cup, has died. He was 17.
Dorman died Sunday after suffering a “medical event” on the family’s way home to Kentucky after attending the world championships at Santa Anita last week, according to a statement from his parents posted Monday on Godolphin Racing’s social media account.
Dorman was born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, and the effects include delayed growth and development, intellectual disability, low muscle tone and seizures. He used a wheelchair.
“With Cody’s diagnosis at birth, we always knew this day would come, but we were determined to help Cody live his best life for however long we had him,” the boy’s parents, Kelly and Leslie Dorman, wrote.
Dorman first met the horse during a Make-A-Wish visit to Godolphin’s Gainsborough Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, when Cody’s Wish was a 5-month-old weanling in 2018. The animal walked over to Dorman’s wheelchair and put his head in the boy’s lap, creating such a connection that Godolphin decided a year later to name the horse after Dorman.
“I think that horse probably saved Cody’s life in a lot of ways,” Kelly Dorman said Saturday. “I know him and the horse have made a lot of lives better.”
Cody’s Wish won his final race Saturday in the $1 million Dirt Mile, rallying from last and surviving a stewards’ inquiry to defend his title over Preakness winner National Treasure.
Cody Dorman was waiting in the winner’s circle, as if he already knew what the outcome would be.
The victory ensured a storybook ending for Cody’s Wish in his final race before retirement. He won 11 of 16 career starts, including eight in stakes races, and over $3.1 million in earnings for owner Godolphin.
“This heartfelt story has touched the hearts of many in and outside of the Thoroughbred industry,” Dan Pride, chief operating officer of Godolphin, said in a statement. “And while Cody’s passing has saddened us, we find comfort in knowing that Cody found many joyous moments during this journey with his best friend, Cody’s Wish. Our hearts are with the Dorman family.”
Dorman and his family were on hand to receive the Mr. Fitz Award from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters at the group’s annual dinner last week. The award is for a person who typifies the spirit of racing.
Besides his parents, Dorman is survived by his sister Kylie.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
veryGood! (28)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Chew, spit, repeat: Why baseball players from Little League to MLB love sunflower seeds
- 150 years later, batteaumen are once again bringing life to Scottsville
- Rest in Power: Celebrities react to the death of Sinéad O'Connor
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- GM reverses its plans to halt Chevy Bolt EV production
- Biden administration proposes new fuel economy standards, with higher bar for trucks
- In 'Family Lore,' award-winning YA author Elizabeth Acevedo turns to adult readers
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- What my $30 hamburger reveals about fees and how companies use them to jack up prices
Ranking
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- Max Verstappen wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix, leading Red Bull to record 13 consecutive wins
- IRS, Ivies and GDP
- Max Verstappen wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix, leading Red Bull to record 13 consecutive wins
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- You can finally pre-order the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 and save up to $250 via trade-in
- Trader Joe's recalls its frozen falafel for possibly having rocks in it
- American nurse, daughter kidnapped in Haiti; US issues safety warning
Recommendation
Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
The Yellow trucking company meltdown, explained
'Haunted Mansion' movie: All the Easter eggs that Disneyland fans will love (Spoilers!)
Back-to-school 2023 sales tax holidays: See which 17 states offer them.
Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
Rams RB Sony Michel, two-time Super Bowl champ, retires at 28 after 5 NFL seasons
They billed Medicare late for his anesthesia. He went to collections for a $3,000 tab
Pregnant Shawn Johnson Is Open to Having More Kids—With One Caveat