Cody Dorman Dies at 17 After Namesake Horse Cody's Wish Won Race at Breeders' Cup

Cody Dorman, the namesake behind the Breeders' Cup-winning horse "Cody's Wish," died on Sunday after suffering a "medical event" on his family's trip home from Santa Anita to Kentucky last week, according to the Associated Press.

He was 17.

"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," his parents, Kelly and Leslie Dorman, said in a statement.

Dorman was born with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic condition that has effects that include "delayed growth and development, intellectual disability, low muscle tone and seizures," the AP noted.

He first met Cody's Wish in 2018 at the Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm in Lexington during a Make-A-Wish event. The five-month-old horse came to Dorman's wheelchair and rested his head in his lap, creating a strong bond that persisted throughout Cody Dorman's life.

The horse was later named in Cody Dorman's honor and won 11 of its 16 races, including Saturday's $1 million Dirt Mile.

"This heartfelt story has touched the hearts of many in and outside of the Thoroughbred industry," Godolphin COO Dan Pride 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."

Cody Dorman was named the Mr. Fitz Award winner last week, given by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters to a person for best "typifying the spirt of racing."