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Jockey Junior Alvarado celebrates his first Breeders' Cup victory after Cody's Wish wins the Dirt Mile

World Championships
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Results

Date: 11/5/2022

Saturday Results Summary (dirt)  -  Saturday Results Summary (turf)  -  F&M Sprint -  Turf Sprint -  Dirt Mile -  F&M Turf -  Sprint -  Mile -  Distaff -  Turf -  Classic
Friday Results Summary -  Juvenile Turf Sprint -  Juvenile Fillies Turf -  Juvenile Fillies -  Juvenile Turf -  Juvenile  
Wrap Up   -   Entries   -   Monday Works   -   Tuesday Works   -   Wednesday Works   -   Thursday Works

The $1 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) is for older horses going 1 mile, starting at the regular finish pole but ending at the alternate finish pole (normally the 1/16 pole) given Keeneland's unique 1 1/16 mile configuration. Forego (G1) winner Cody's Wish was sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the field of 9 over 3-1 second choice Cyberknife, third in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), and 7-2 third choice Gunite, winner of the Perryville Stakes.

Down the stretch in the Dirt Mile

Jockey Flavien Prat sent 6-1 fourth choice Pipeline to the lead on the clubhouse turn through fractions of 22.20 and 45.71 while pressed by Gunite and stalked by Cyberknife and 17-1 Slow Down Andy. On the far turn Cuyberknife took over through 3/4 in 1:10.34 and 7/8 in 1:22.72, but Cody's Wish, last early under Junior Alvarado, came out 5 wide into the lane and rallied to get up to win by a head over Cyberknife in 1:35.33. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Slow Down Andy third.

Cody's Wish wins the Dirt Mile
Pgm  Horse              Jockey            Win   Place  Show
  7   Cody's Wish        Alvarado          6.32   3.76  2.92
  9   Cyberknife         Geroux                   4.14  3.54
  1   Slow Down Andy     Gutierrez    .                 6.30

Winning Time:  1:35.33                     

$1 Exacta 7-9                         13.47  
$2 Trifecta 7-9-1                    995.40
$1 Superfecta 7-9-1-5                805.30
Results chart

Left: Cody's Wish in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Bill Mott said, "He settled into a beautiful stride when he headed down the backside. And Junior, looked like he tipped him to the outside to be sure he was going to be clear. This horse got a massive stride. And just to watch him work in the mornings, I mean, you watch him go a half a mile, you think he's going in :51 and he goes in :48. You know what I mean? It's one of those things, his stride is just so beautiful that he's doing a lot more. He's covering a lot more ground than you think he is. When he left the half mile pole today he was doing some running. He extended his stride and he looked great."

Right: The trophy presentation for the Dirt Mile. Michael Banahan representing owner Godolphin said, "It's been this unbelievable story from the get-go when Cody Dorman first met Cody's Wish as just a foal in the barn. And they developed this bond seemingly. And he saw him a year and a half later and we were worried about being a rambunctious, strong 2-year-old dealing with him at that stage. And the horse put his head down in his lap. We were all surprised about that. And just seemed like they had this connection. And the Dormans came out last Wednesday, and Bill had the horse out with Cody Dorman as well. He got down, nosed at him as well. Seems like he knows who Cody Dorman is and to have this little relationship with each other -- and he's just been a special horse for the family, for us, and it's just like a Hollywood story. It's hard to script."

Left: Cody's Wish in the post parade. Winning jockey Junior Alvarado said, " I don't want to put myself pressure for no reason. I've just got to trust the horse. I know he's been training well. And I had to put that in the back of my mind. I knew it was the Breeders' Cup, but I just focused to do the job the right way. You can understand him a little bit. You've got to know him a little bit. He's a horse, he likes to do his own thing. You don't want to get in his way. But at the same time, you have to like teach him, tell him which way to go, when to go. And he'll be there for you. So, like I say, when we turned for home, I knew the way he was stretching there, he wanted it as bad as I did when we turned for home."

Right: Cody's Wish heads back to the barn after the race. Mott added, "As a trainer, I'd love to keep him in training. His profile is starting to get pretty good right now. And I'm sure he would be an attractive stallion for many people to breed to. Any horse that can win a Breeders' Cup mile is going to be sought after. The thing about it is he did get a late start in life. And he's only had really one season of hard racing. He's not over-raced. And he would be a horse that probably, you know, we can all see, he's just coming into his own these last two. He's risen into the stakes company and to the Grade I level, and he'd be a horse that, for me as a trainer, would be an interesting horse to take to a race like the Met Mile next year."

Left: Second place finisher Cyberknife approaches the starting gate. Trainer Brad Cox said, "He ran good, just second best. He ran great. No excuse. Florent (Geroux) gave him a perfect trip, just came up a little bit short, bottom line." Jockey Florent Geroux added, "The trouble was on the first turn, had nothing to do with us. I had a great trip, the pace was just as I thought it would be. I was making my move nicely and I thought I had it. He was reaching out just at the finish and trying really hard. The other horse was fighting hard and my horse fought just as hard. I loved being in the two path. I really thought we had it."

Right: Third place finisher Slow Down Andy returns after the race. Trainer Doug O'Neill said, "He ran huge. Mario did a great job and got after him and got position. He was sitting in a perfect spot and didn’t have the cleanest trip – a little traffic – but he ran a really big race." Jockey Mario Gutierrez added, "(Pipeline) pinned me down a little bit early in the race and I think it cost me a bit. The winner and the second-place horse ran really tough, so I think I was third best today. He ran really good."

Saturday Results Summary (dirt)  -  Saturday Results Summary (turf)  -  F&M Sprint -  Turf Sprint -  Dirt Mile -  F&M Turf -  Sprint -  Mile -  Distaff -  Turf -  Classic
Friday Results Summary -  Juvenile Turf Sprint -  Juvenile Fillies Turf -  Juvenile Fillies -  Juvenile Turf -  Juvenile  
Wrap Up   -   Entries   -   Monday Works   -   Tuesday Works   -   Wednesday Works   -   Thursday Works

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