Cody's Wish: A Boy, a Racehorse, and a Fight for Life - Paperback

by Paul K. Halloran (Author), Tom Hammond (Foreword by)

The heart-stirring true story of a champion racehorse, a courageous boy, and the wish that united them

Cody Dorman had already beaten the odds when, at age thirteen, he was introduced to a five-month-old Thoroughbred foal in 2018 through Make-A-Wish. Born with Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, Cody had undergone more than forty operations, including two open-heart surgeries before he was three. One doctor told his parents he wouldn't live past his second birthday.

There was an instant connection between teenage Cody and the foal, one so impactful that the owners named the young racehorse Cody's Wish. When Cody was severely depressed a few years later during the pandemic, another visit to see "his" horse snapped him out of it. Cody later traveled to racetracks around the country to watch Cody's Wish run. Each time they met-in the paddock, on the backstretch, in the winner's circle-the bond between the 1,100-pound racehorse and 70-pound boy was obvious. They would stare at each other, then the horse would walk toward Cody and put his head in his lap.

Cody saw Cody's Wish win a Breeders' Cup race at Keeneland in 2022 and was at Santa Anita in 2023 when the horse ended his career with a thrilling victory. The next day on the flight home, Cody fell asleep on his mother's shoulder and did not wake up. While his death caused immeasurable sadness, those close to him were comforted by the fact that he was there for his horse right to the end.

This is a story of resilience, triumph, and love-of the inexplicable yet undeniable bond between a courageous boy and the champion racehorse he considered his best friend. And it is a story that is still ongoing, with a life-size monument at Kentucky Horse Park debuting in 2025 and the first crop of Cody's Wish foals heading to the yearling sales in 2026, to race as two-year-olds in 2027.

Author Biography

Paul K. Halloran Jr. has covered horse racing since the mid-1980s. He is a regular contributor to The Saratoga Special, Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred, and ThisIsHorseRacing.com and co-host of HHH Racing podcast. In 2022, he was assigned to cover the Forego Stakes, where he first encountered Cody's story. He has followed the family's journey ever since. His piece "Fairytale" for the Saratoga Special earned an honorable mention in the 2022 Media Eclipse Awards. Halloran is a lifelong resident of Boston.