Run With a Mighty Heart

With the right team, miracles can happen. Even during a global pandemic. Welcome to the story of Mighty Heart, a one-eyed bay colt who captured the attention of horse racing fans all over the world when he won the 2020 Queen’s Plate, Canada’s iconic Thoroughbred race, at Woodbine racetrack.

It is the comeback story of a horse whose outlook was bleak after his first few disappointing races, and got worse when the pandemic largely shut down horse racing. It is the comeback story of an owner, Larry Cordes, who had stepped away from racing after suffering a series of personal tragedies.

Larry was always smitten with horses and racing, and became an owner when his late wife gave him a birthday gift of a racehorse. A leader in the heavy machine industry in Ontario, Larry’s love for horses became a warm and fulfilling family affair as his wife and daughters joined him in his fabulous obsessions.

But the tight-knit group was rocked by the deaths of three family members that forever changed their perspectives on life and Larry, crestfallen, stepped away from his passion.

Nine years later, he returned with renewed love for horse racing, and an idea to breed his own horse with the help of some of the finest minds in Ontario’s Thoroughbred industry. It is a heartwarming, comeback story—all because of a little horse that could.

Run With a Mighty Heart is a refreshing, joyful read that is full of hope and wonder—showcasing that it truly takes a team to overcome the hurdles that we face in life. We are left cheering at the end.