When Canonero II won the 1971 Kentucky Derby, he generated a rather modest return for a $2 win ticket. Yet that $19.40 winning ticket on the "Caracas Cannonball" had nothing to do with the Venezuelan shipper’s merits and everything to do with his inclusion in a gargantuan six-horse mutuel field. Based on his form and a star-crossed trip to the United States, Canonero probably would have been dismissed at 100-1 odds in the 97th Kentucky Derby. Maybe even 200-1, but nothing even remotely close to his 8-1 odds.
Tag: Legends
She Wore the (Black-Eyed) Susans: Six Fabulous Fillies Who Won the Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes has long been a proving ground for the toughest and most talented 3-year-olds each year. Run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, colts have traditionally dominated this middle jewel of the Triple Crown, but its 150-year history has seen a few fillies rise to the challenge and etch their names into history.
Real Quiet: A Nose From Triple Crown Glory
Real Quiet did not look or act the part of a champion early in his career. He was so crooked up front that he sold to Michael Pegram for only $17,000 as a yearling in 1996. He was so lacking in girth that his trainer, Bob Baffert, jokingly nicknamed him “The Fish.”
Overlooked, Underestimated, Unstoppable: The Legendary Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence spent a lifetime in search of respect, on the track and in the breeding shed. In the end, he earned it. “He was very good,” said Shug McGaughey, a Hall of Fame trainer who handled arch-rival Easy Goer. “I ran against him four times and he beat us three times. And I ran a pretty good horse at him.”
