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.’ ”
American Pharoah: The One Horse Racing Was Waiting For
Justin Zayat, racing manager for Zayat Stables, would look hopefully at every young horse his family bred or purchased, wondering if another American Pharoah might come his way again. He looked in vain.
Sunday Silence: The Star No One Wanted
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.”
