Filming has wrapped on Cody’s Wish / The Cody Dorman Story: What Makes a Champion?, a feature documentary telling the remarkable true story of champion racehorse Cody’s Wish and his endearing bond with his namesake, Cody Dorman, a Kentucky teenager with a rare genetic disorder and alove for horse racing.
Now in post-production, the documentary is targeting a spring 2027 theatrical release.
The story began with an encounter that neither Dorman nor his family could have anticipated. In 2018, during a Make-A-Wish visit to Gainsborough Farm in Lexington, five-month-old foal Cody’s Wish — then unnamed — walked directly to Dorman’s wheelchair and placed his head in the boy’s lap. Dorman drew the same reaction during subsequent visits, and the horse never failed to acknowledge the young boy’s presence. When it came time to give the horse his name, Cody’s Wish took the title — in honor of Dorman and the organization that connected the two.
From there, the relationship became the heart of an extraordinary racing story. As Cody’s Wish rose from promising young horse to one of the sport’s most celebrated champions, Dorman remained a constant presence. Remarkably, the horse never lost a race when Dorman was in attendance. Wins included back-to-back Breeder’s Cup Dirt Mile victories, Churchill Downs Stakes on Kentucky Derby day, the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park, and the Forego Stakes at Saratoga, among others.
The story reached its emotional climax in November 2023 when Cody’s Wish won his second Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in the final race of his career, rallying from last to win by a nose. The victory helped secure his 2023 Horse of the Year honor. One day later, Dorman died.
The upcoming documentary features interviews with people who witnessed the relationship and the horse’s extraordinary racing career firsthand, including:
Kelly and Leslie Dorman — Cody’s parents share their family’s deeply personal journey and the profound impact of their son’s relationship with the racehorse.
Junior Alvarado — The dedicated jockey for Cody’s Wish piloted the legendary champion to 11 wins in 16 starts.
Faith Hacker — The former director for Make-A-Wish helped facilitate the initial meeting between Dorman and the young horse.
Bill Mott — The Hall of Fame trainer managed Cody’s Wish’s racing career.
Paul Halloran — The veteran turf journalist and author of the 2026 book “Cody’s Wish: A Boy, a Racehorse, and a Fight for Life.”
Dan Pride and Michael Banahan — The Godolphin executives played integral roles in managing the horse’s career and supporting the legendary, emotional story surrounding him.
Bob Baffert — The legendary trainer whose Preakness winner National Treasure finished a nose behind Cody’s Wish in the champion’s final Dirt Mile.
Shot on location in Kentucky and New York, the documentary is produced by Enliven Content—a film and television production company founded by award-winning filmmakers Jeff Celentano and Warren Ostergard—whose work focuses on true, inspiring and uplifting stories. Celentano and Ostergard previously collaborated on The Hill, the 2023 award-winning sports drama starring Dennis Quaid.
The documentary’s cinematography was done by award-winning cinematographer Daniel Hollis, who specializes in verité filmmaking and has worked extensively with major platforms like Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Disney+, National Geographic, and Vice.
Editing was done by Emmy Award-winning film and television editor and producer Chris Herde, whose work spans major networks and streaming platforms, including HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, ABC, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video.
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