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
Hall of Fame Trainer King Leatherbury: A Maryland Legend
King Leatherbury knows how he wants his training career to be defined. He knows how he would like to be remembered. “If I wanted something on my tombstone,” he said, “it would just be, ‘He won races.’ ”
Smarty Jones: An Unlikely Hero and Beloved Fan Favorite
When John Servis was growing up in Philadelphia, he experienced a recurring dream. He pictured himself in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs, having won the Kentucky Derby as a trainer.
A History-Making Performance: Recalling Secretariat’s 1973 Kentucky Derby Victory
For those that ponied up $190,000 apiece for membership in Secretariat’s breeding syndicate, the period between the powerful chestnut’s loss in the April 21 Wood Memorial Stakes and the May 5 Kentucky Derby was gut-check time.
