If you happened to catch the 2023 Churchill Downs Stakes, you would have seen a young boy in a wheelchair in the winner’s circle. That boy and that horse were Cody Dorman and Cody’s Wish, and their remarkable story is set to become a major motion picture.
According to an exclusive story in Deadline, the film is being directed by Jeff Celentano (The Hill), and that film’s producer Warren Ostergard who launched their own production company, Enliven Content, to focus on “true, inspiring, and uplifting stories.”
First out of the gate for Enliven is Cody’s Wish, based on the true story of the champion racehorse and Dorman, a Kentucky teenager with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that kept him bound to a wheelchair and only able to communicate with a tablet. But despite his physical challenges, Corman had a passion for horse racing.
Their story began in 2018 when the foal was born, and Dorman toured Gainsborough Farm, a Thoroughbred breeding facility in Kentucky, as part of a Make-A-Wish visit. The unnamed colt was only five months old and there were concerns about how the foal would react to Cody’s wheelchair.
According to those who were there, including Cody’s parents, the foal kept a watchful eye on Cody and approached cautiously. He then sniffed around the boy before burying his head in Cody’s lap. During subsequent visits the foal continued to have the same reaction, and always seemed to acknowledge Cody.
“Them two just have some type of language they use to communicate with each other,” Kelly Dorman, Cody’s father to the Lexington Herald Leader. “You can’t hear it, but you can see it and you can certainly feel it. It’s pretty amazing.”
The young horse’s breeder was inspired and named the foal Cody’s Wish to honour both young Dorman and the organization that made their friendship possible.
As the horse grew and became ready to race, their story continued to take a page from a screenplay, with Cody’s Wish never losing a race when Dorman was in the stands. The horse’s list of impressive wins included back-to-back Breeder’s Cup victories, Churchill Stakes at The Kentucky Derby, The Met Mile, and Forego Stakes at Saratoga, and others.
Sadly, Dorman passed away in 2023 at the age of 17, a day after Cody’s Wish won his second Breeder’s Cup and the final race of his career.
“As the story of Cody’s Wish grew, everyone we told about it would say, ‘This will be a movie someday,’” Cody’s father told Deadline. “We’re incredibly grateful to Enliven Content for agreeing to share the remarkable connection between our son Cody and his best friend Cody’s Wish.”
“The extraordinary bond shared between Cody’s Wish and Cody Dorman transcends racing, transcends sport, and bears us witness to something truly magical,” added the film’s director, Celentano. “Our company is dedicated to creating content that leaves its audience inspired, hopeful, and alive, and this story will do just that. It’s a beautiful story and we’re absolutely honored to tell it.”