The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Cody’s Wish is named 2023 Horse of the Year
The major spotlight belonged to the connections for Cody’s Wish, trainer Bill Mott and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. on Thursday night during the 53rd annual Eclipse Awards at
The Breakers Palm
Beach in
Florida.
Cody
Wish’s heartwarming fairy tale came to a conclusion when the retired son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin was named 2023 Horse of the Year on the strength of four stakes victories in 2023, including the Met Mile and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile when it seemed his 17-year-old namesake, Cody Dorman, willed the horse to the wire in the latter race. Dorman, born with Wolf-hirschhorn syndrome, died on the way home from the Breeders’ Cup because of a “medical event.”
The 70-year-old Mott took home his fourth Eclipse Award as the nation’s top trainer and first since 2011. The Hall of Fame trainer won the award by virtue of three of his horses — Cody’s Wish, Just F Y I and Elite Power — winning Eclipse Awards in their respective divisions. Only Just F Y I will run in 2024.
The Eastern-based Ortiz continues to reign supreme in the jockeys’ division, winning his fifth Eclipse. He joins Jerry Bailey (seven) and Laffit Pincay, Jr. (five) as the only riders to win the award five times or more. He’s won the Eclipse five of the past six years. Only Joel Rosario in 2021 interrupted Ortiz’s string of victories.
Dorman’s father, Kelly, accepted the Horse of the Year award for owner Godolphin. Dorman’s sister, Kylie, was called on stage to present the award as the owners, jockeys, trainers and other horsemen rose in unison to salute the 6-year-old horse’s connections and pay homage to a story that will be difficult to duplicate.
“You’ll never hear Tom Hanks (star in A League of Their Own) say there’s no crying in horse racing,” Kelly Dorman said. “I never would have thought five years ago, when all this happened, I would be standing right here doing this ... (Cody’s Wish) put his heart into us. The best thing was the determination that we got to watch when Cody’s Wish ran. Can’t and quit are two words we never use, never will, and don’t think that horse can’t talk because he can and he won’t use those two words either.”
Cody’s Wish received 134 first-place votes on the 219 ballots cast. White Abarrio was second with 37 and Idiomatic received 21 first-place votes. Others receiving votes for Horse of the Year included Up to the Mark (nine), Arcangelo (six), Auguste Rodin (six), Elite Power (five) and Practical Move (one).
There were 250 eligible voters and 219 ballots (88%) were returned. Voters selected three horses or humans in each division and finalists were determined based on points via a 10-5-1 basis. Winners were decided solely on first-place votes.
The other winners, with first-place vote totals included when available:
Two-year-old male: Fierceness 205, Big Evs four.
Two-year-old female: Just F Y I 202, Hard to Justify nine.
Three-year-old male: Arcangelo 193, Auguste Rodin 21.
Three-year-old female: Pretty Mischievous 182, Randomized 24.
Older dirt male: Cody’s Wish 168, White Abarrio 65.
Older dirt female: Idiomatic 211, Goodnight Olive four.
Male turf: Up to the Mark 141, Auguste Rodin 60.
Female turf: Inspiral 112, In Italian 50, Mawj 43.
Male sprinter: Elite Power 183, Cody’s Wish 35.
Female sprinter: Goodnight Olive 140, Echo Zulu 72.
Top jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. 187, Javier Castellano 17, Flavien Prat seven.
Top trainer: Bill Mott 132, Brad Cox 60.
Owner: Godolphin.
Breeder: Godolphin 182, Summer Wind Equine 30.
Apprentice jockey: Axel Concepcion 166, Sofia Vives 16.
Steeplechase horse: Merry Maker 69, Snap Decision 50.
Follow Art Wilson on X @Sham73