Jockey Alvarado Wants to Keep it Going for Cody's Wish

Another chapter of horse racing's feel-good story will be written on Aug. 5 and jockey Junior Alvarado wants to make sure it still reads that way after the $1 million Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Alvarado is the pilot of Cody's Wish , winner of his last six starts, but is known for much, much more than that. The relationship that Cody's Wish, the 5-year-old horse, shares with Kentucky teenager Cody Dorman is a modern day tear jerker.

Cody Dorman, born with the rare genetic disorder Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome can not walk or communicate without using a tablet. Young Cody met a young horse at Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm as part of a Make-A-Wish Day in 2018 and boy and horse formed a bond that is still solid today.

The Dorman family will be at Saratoga for the Whitney and Alvarado wants to make sure the story keeps going.

"I have won many races," Alvarado, who won the 2014 Whitney with Moreno. "This is just special."

Alvarado has ridden Cody's Wish seven times during the son of Curlin  's 13-race career, including the last six straight. He has seen up close the relationship Cody's Wish has with Cody Dorman and he knows how real and special that relationship is.

"I love every part of it and I am happy to be a part of it," Alvarado said. "It is something I have never seen before. At first, I thought, 'They are animals, they will come to you if you feed them.' I saw with my own eyes their relationship. This is an inspiration."

Cody's Wish has done the heavy lifting during the winning streak, but Alvarado has been pushing the buttons while the horse was winning races like the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, the Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs (G1) this year and the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland and the Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga last year.

Alvarado said he did not feel too much pressure when the winning streak started. But, as it grew, and the story of Cody Dorman did too, it has built up.

It's always important to win a race but there is another reason to keep it going.

"If there was not this story behind it, I would still be 100% fine and ride my horse and be confident," Alvarado said. "I am still confident in the horse but I want to make sure this keeps going perfectly. Someone else needs this and horse racing needs it, too."

Becky's Joker Works in Preparation of Adirondack Aug. 6

On Aug. 1, trainer Gary Contessa had Becky's Joker , the 2-year-old filly that won the Schuylerville Stakes (G3) in her first career start, work four furlongs on the Oklahoma Training Track. On Aug. 6, the plan is for the daughter of Practical Joke   to run in the $200,000 Adirondack Stakes (G3) at Saratoga Race Course.

With Hall of Fame rider Javier Castellano on board, Becky's Joker completed her breeze in 48.77 seconds, the fifth fastest of 16 at the distance.

"Castellano was motionless on her," Contessa said outside his barn on the Oklahoma Aug. 2. "She really doesn't need to do much more than that. She galloped out in 1:01; it was a great work, an excellent work."

Contessa said he does not worry about having a work that close to a race.

"I am a little unorthodox in the way I train," Contessa said. "I am going to do it the way I feel it needs to be done and not what people think. The horse tells me when I am going to work. I've been doing it like that for 35 years."

Becky's Joker won the Schuylerville at odds of 21-1. Contessa hopes that the filly, owned by Lee Pokoik, will be able to also run in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) on Sept. 3 at the Spa.



Life of Funny Cide to be Celebrated

A month after he passed away, the life and times of Funny Cide will be celebrated at Siro's Restaurant, just outside the gates of Saratoga Race Course.

Jack Knowlton, the managing partner of Sackatoga Stable, which owned the 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness (G1) winner, announced that Funny Cide's memory will be honored Aug. 16 at Siro's, starting at 6 p.m. ET

"This is something that we feel that we owe him and owe his fans," Knowlton said Aug. 2. "There was a huge celebration in Saratoga after he won the Derby at Siro's. The whole town was behind him. Let's bring it full circle. We are trying to bring together a lot of people that were involved in his life and success."

Knowlton, trainer Barclay Tagg, assistant trainer Robin Smullen and jockey Jose Santos will be in attendance and will take part in a panel discussion moderated by retired race caller Tom Durkin, who called Funny Cide's Derby and Preakness. 

The event is open to the public. Premium tickets for $100 include admission, food, non-reserved seating at Siro's and a commemorative T-shirt. General admission tickets for $35 include admission and food. There will also be a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased online at eventbrite.com. 

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, where Funny Cide spent the final 15 years of his life. The proceeds will assist the Horse Park in funding a statue of Funny Cide at the Hall of Champions.

Knowlon said representatives from the Finger Lakes Race Track, where Funny Cide ran his last race—a win on July 4, 2007—will be in attendance as will people from Kentucky Horse Park. Joe and Anne McMahon of McMahon Thoroughbreds of Saratoga, where Funny Cide was born, will also be there.

"The Funny Cide Send-Off" will feature music by the Funny Cide band, Blue Hand Luke.

The New York-bred gelding, a son of Distorted Humor ,  won more than $3.5 million during his racing career and was the first New York-bred to win the Derby.