SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The question being asked of Cody’s Wish in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Whitney Stakes is one trainer Bill Mott thought would have been answered long ago. So confident in his ability to get 1 1/8 miles around two turns, Mott tried Cody’s Wish under those conditions at Saratoga in his second career start in 2021. Watch the replay of that race and you’ll appreciate the fact he was able to finish third and not worse in that nine-horse field. Cody’s Wish blew the break, steadied early on the backstretch, then rushed up along the inside to duel with the ultimate winner, Vindictive. Cody’s Wish basically used himself too soon and was done by the quarter pole. The Cody’s Wish that enters the Whitney on a six-race winning streak – including Grade 1 victories this year in the Churchill Downs and Metropolitan Handicap – is a different horse. He should be better prepared to handle 1 1/8 miles and two turns. “I think he’s a smarter horse, I think he knows how to run,” Mott said. “In the beginning, he didn’t know which part of the race to put his run in. Sometimes, it would be too early, he would use himself up. With racing and us getting to know him a little better, there’s a better possibility that he’ll do it.” Codys Wish certainly has the pedigree to excel at 1 1/8 miles. He is by Curlin, a nine-time stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles or farther, out of a Tapit mare, Dance Card, who won the then-Grade 1 Gazelle at Aqueduct and a first-level allowance at Saratoga going 1 1/8 miles. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. Moreover, Junior Alvarado has developed a rapport with Cody’s Wish, having ridden him to victory in each of his last six starts. “I think he’s got a lot of confidence in him now,” Mott said. “At one point [jockeys] felt he should be up close to the pace and they tried to keep him closer, but it’s better to let him find his own stride and let him determine where he wants to be rather than the rider try to place him.” Cody’s Wish will break from post 6. The success of Cody’s Wish has become a national story because of his link to Cody Dorman, a teenager from Kentucky born with a rare genetic disorder called Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, who has developed a bond with the horse when introduced to him on the farm before he ever ran. Dorman and his family have attended several of Cody’s Wish’s races and are expected to be at Saratoga Saturday. “This horse has given him something to live for,” Mott said. The Whitney field wasn’t finalized until early in the week when Giant Game, Last Samurai, and White Abarrio joined the field, the latter two as $7,500 supplemental nominees. The presence of Giant Game, winner of the Cornhusker, is likely good news for Cody’s Wish in that he has the speed to make sure Charge It, winner of the Grade 2 Suburban last out, won’t be alone on the lead. “I will be the pace,” said Dale Romans, the trainer of Giant Game, who breaks from post 3 with Luis Saez. Charge It who breaks from post 2 under John Velazquez, won’t be far behind. His connections have wanted him to be involved early in his races, and in the Suburban – a race he won by 4 3/4 lengths – he was up close behind a speed horse, Red Run, before taking over after the opening quarter-mile. Trainer Todd Pletcher, a four-time Whitney winner, called the Suburban Charge It’s “most professional” performance. However, Pletcher understands the task at hand. “To me, just watching Cody’s Wish, I would be surprised if he wasn’t very effective at a mile and an eighth,” Pletcher said. “He just seems like a super-talented horse, period. But we just have to focus on the fact our horse is doing really well and deserves the opportunity.” Zandon and White Abarrio finished second and third, respectively, behind Cody’s Wish in the Met Mile. As 3-year-olds in 2022, Zandon won the Blue Grass and White Abarrio won the Florida Derby, Grade 1 stakes run at 1 1/8 miles. Chad Brown, the trainer of Zandon, believes his horse “is doing as well as he possibly can” entering the Whitney. “I really believe a mile and an eighth around two turns is a perfect distance for him,” Brown said. Coming out of the Met Mile, White Abarrio was being pointed to the Grade 1 Forego at seven furlongs on Aug. 26. But when the Whitney field looked like it was going to be small, his connections opted to run here. :: Visit the Saratoga Handicapping Store for Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Picks, Betting Strategies, and more. Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said the Forego “is just as tough as this race. He’s won at the distance and there’s a question about that on a couple of horses in there. Why not take a chance for that money?” Irad Ortiz Jr. rides White Abarrio. Last Samurai was a late addition to the field. He won a pair of graded stakes at Oaklawn Park before getting beat a head by Proxy in the Oaklawn Handicap. He subsequently finished fourth in a pair of graded stakes at Churchill Downs for trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The Whitney tops a 12-race card that begins at 12:35 p.m. and includes four other stakes – the Grade 1 Test, Grade 1 Saratoga Derby, Grade 3 Troy, and listed Lure. The winner of the Whitney earns a fees-paid berth into the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.