Cody’s Wish regains winning thread in G2 Vosburgh Stakes

Cody's Wish put his Whitney Stakes defeat firmly behind him as he comfortably saw off Accretive in the G2 Vosburgh Stakes at Aqueduct, USA, on Sunday, 1 October.

Dropping back to seven furlongs, Cody’s Wish was slow from the gates and raced in a clear last before Junior Alvarado rushed the four-time G1 winner around the field to sit a three-quarter length second at the halfway point.

Cody’s Wish joined Accretive in front turning in and established a slender advantage at the top of the straight, with Great Navigator also launching a challenge down the inside rail.

Accretive and Cody’s Wish went on passing the furlong-pole, with the Bill Mott-trained five-year-old drawing away in the closing strides to score by a length and a half.

Junior Alvarado said: “Cody’s Wish was much the best horse today. He has been drawn on the outside for his last two starts and we were hoping that it was a case of ‘load and go’, but I think loading him last is making him break worse than before.

“After that, I nudged him a little bit and I knew that he was going to put himself in a good position. When I turned for home, I had the Cody’s Wish that I know.”

Bill Mott said: “It’s great to have Cody’s Wish back in the winner’s circle. We would have been really disappointed had he not been able to handle this group. I thought he did it well enough was getting away from them at the wire. Turning for home, that other horse [Accretive] gave him a little bit of a tussle, but past the eighth pole, it looked like he showed up."