Colt Cunningham has a perfect name and a perfect smile. And he is smiling a lot this weekend. He has the kind of smile where his eyes slowly close and stay shut while his face brightens into a great big open grin. It’s as if he is capturing the images in front of him to look at them later. He had a pretty rough start in life. He was born with a congenital heart disease called pulmonary stenosis that causes abnormal development of the fetal heart. Basically, what it means is that his heart has issues with the blood flow from his heart to the pulmonary artery. He spent the first 18 months of his life in the hospital. He explains it simply. “Throughout my life I have had five open-heart surgeries, one artificial valve implant and, more recently, I got a pacemaker. This heart condition has affected me through my childhood by not being able to play the sports that I love like football, hockey and basketball because of how much physical activity is required that my heart can’t take. Another defect of this heart condition is that after a surgery it takes me a while to recover because of the major operation.”

Last year after surgery, he learned about The Children’s Wish Foundation in Canada. It is a lovely non profit organization that that is dedicated to fulfilling a wish for children afflicted with a “high risk, life-threatening illness.” As Colt was recovering from his surgery, he put in a request to visit the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Classic. Colt works as a groom for his dad, Randy Cunningham, who is a trainer at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club (RMTC) in Lethbridge, Alberta. Colt has to take care of himself. Usually when he does physical activities, he tires more easily than most people. He then gets out of breath and as a result gets sleepy and tired afterward because his heart has to work twice as hard. It’s not good for him to overdo it.

Colt with his brother Kyle. (Julie June Stewart photo)

His brother Kyle Luyendyk remembers the family lived in a Ronald McDonald House so the doctors could see Colt every day.  When he was finally released from the hospital, he was brought to the track to see his dad win a Quarter-Horse race. Kyle says that Colt was lifted up to his Dad and balanced on the saddle for the win picture. He explains that they traveled with their dad on the horse racing circuit through Alberta, Billings, Grand Prairie and Lethbridge.

It is an interesting thought. If one could have any wish delivered, what would one choose? Many children ask for a trip to a theme park. But Colt had been watching Breeders’ Cup races every year back at RMTC and knew where he wanted to go. “Everyone watches the big races together because we all have the dream of going!” It was thrilling that Kyle could join him. Colt said, “I decided on the Breeders’ Cup for my wish because my biggest passion is horse racing. I was raised at the track watching my father who was a Quarter-Horse jockey for 30 years. Because of injuries from riding, he is now a Quarter-Horse and Thoroughbred trainer. I work for my dad as a groom and I love every bit of it. It pushes me to be like my dad. I want a career in the sport of kings.”

The Children’s Wish Foundation has helped more than 25,000 children since it started the program in 1984. They paid for their trip, gave them a gift certificate for clothes and worked with the Breeders’ Cup, which put together an outstanding itinerary for their visit. They were also given a backpack filled with Breeders’ Cup hats and T-shirts, a large stuffed lion and Children’s Wish T-Shirts. 

I met with the brothers on the eve of the Breeders’ Cup. They had a million questions about Santa Anita, the races, the trainers, the horses and the logistics of being at the track. The connection between the two brothers is apparent. They are blessed with an astute connection where simple eye contact can state more than talking. Kyle is obviously very proud of his brother. “I think the doctors that have been around Colt since he was born have done amazing things to get him where he is today. He is such a strong kid. I knew he would get through. With their help, they made Colt be heathy.” 

There is a universal bond between racetrack people and within seconds we were going through the races and the horses like we had known each other for years. Colt was very eager to see California Chrome. He is favoring Frosted over California Chrome as Frosted was his 2015 Kentucky Derby pick.   

The brothers outside American Pharoah's barn. (Julie June Stewart photo)

It’s now Friday morning at the track. The sun has not risen yet and the European horses are on the track in the darkness of dawn. The Breeders’ Cup has provided an escort (Sean O’Leary) from Santa Anita to walk Colt and Kyle around the backside. There is something very peaceful and promising about early morning at the track. Wearing a large silver belt buckle that his dad won, an RC Racing jacket and cowboy boots, Colt immediately seemed to be at home. He took it all in. The barns and palm trees. The beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains. The different variations between the barns when it came to hot walking and grooming. As he stood outside Bob Baffert’s Barn, he looked at the American Pharoah sign and politely asked if we would take their photo with it. 

We headed to what has been commonly referred to as “California Chrome’s barn.” It was immediately recognizable because it had a small group of folks standing outside his stall. Colt was introduced to trainer Art Sherman and in a matter of seconds the brothers were escorted into the barn to meet Chrome. Colt was beaming. He was cautioned that Chrome might bite, but he knows his way around horses. He placed his hand on Chrome's halter while assistant trainer Alan Sherman stood on the other side. Chrome was in beast mode and laid back his ears but quickly returned to his normally congenial self. Colt was walking on air as we continued to walk around the backside.

As the sun slowly rose, misty light and shadows danced with the promise of an amazing day. We stood and watched the sun cast its long shadows over the grandstand in a blinding show of superiority.  Everywhere Colt looked, there were Breeders’ Cup horses and the other world-class residents of Santa Anita. He met jockey Julien Leparoux, who graciously posed for a photo with the brothers. We then stood respectfully off to the side as Bob Baffert was meeting with a group of gentlemen. He saw us and said jovially, “What do we have here?” Suddenly, Colt was eye to eye with his idol.

Colt and Baffert look at a photo. (Julie June Stewart photo)

First there were handshakes and preliminary racetrack talk. Bob learned that Colt and his brother shared a Quarter-Horse background. Bob dashed into his office (known as the Baff Room, which gave Colt a giggle) and brought him out a win photo of when Bob was a Quarter-Horse jockey. They admired it and Bob offered to autograph it. Colt is a good son and wished his Dad could have been with him. He asked Baffert to autograph the photo and his Breeders’ Cup hat to “Randy Cunningham,” so Colt could give it to his father. Bob was touched by this gesture and ran back into his office with a bobble head for Colt. 

After we walked the barns Colt said, “It was an unbelievable experience! It was almost unreal but a privilege to do what we did this morning.” He was struggling with the immense weight of emotions and said, “I just don't know if it will ever happen again but it happened today!” 

Life can be amazing. When one is saddled with a medical condition, it is difficult to ride it through. Colt has had to survive unimaginable difficulties in life, handling a heart that doesn’t want to work properly.  It’s always interesting in life how one acquires survival skills along the way. Ironically, what one immediately realizes about Colt is that he has a huge heart. As in horse racing, when one describes an incredible horse, they often say that the horse “has a huge heart.” Colt is open to new experiences, new friends and fun. He is loyal to his brothers and his family. People are naturally drawn to him. He has that unique knack of putting you at ease and realizing that perhaps what you consider problems in life are actually small bumps in the road. 

Colt reflected on his illness and said, “I guess stuff in life happens but I always figure out that someone has it worse than me. You just got to go with it.”

Colt with Mike Smith and Victor Espinoza. (Julie June Stewart photo)

Later, after the second race, I ran into the brothers. They were jubilant. One look at them and you realized that they were having the time of their lives, which is exactly the intent of the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. They had just met Hall of Famer jockeys Mike Smith and Victor Espinoza. Smith autographed a jockey’s whip for Colt and Espinoza autographed some goggles. As they walked back to the track, Colt realized that he recognized a young female jockey from Canada! Once again, horse racing becomes a family as they stopped and chatted rapidly. Colt’s expression was sheer joy and wonder. 

They went upstairs to watch the rest of the races. I called him after the historic Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff, in which Beholder and Songbird dueled to the end. I was thrilled that he got to witness such an amazing race. One for the history books! I asked him what he was feeling. He said it was a magnificent day. I smiled when I realized exactly what he was doing. He was closing his eyes creating a memory of what he has seen and done today. And the thrilling part of it is that they will be back on Saturday for more! They are even considering going to Los Alamitos on Sunday to see the Quarter-Horse racing. And why not? More memories and more stories to take with them.      

Should we get our wishes? Should we reach for our dreams? Achieving a dream is a milestone that opens the mind to accomplishing the next dream. Having a wish granted is the ultimate kindness. Colt was reflective as he walked around the backside in the early dawn hours and simply said, “I could work here.”  Wouldn’t it be nice if getting a wish to come true could lead to having your dreams come true?  For Colt Cunningham and his brother Kyle, the Breeders’ Cup experience has indeed been a dream come true. One never knows where the next dream might lead them!