Canonero II (1968-1981), (in Spanish: Cañonero II) was a Venezuelan champion thoroughbred race horse.
Bred by Edward B. Benjamin in Kentucky, the bay colt was born with a noticeably crooked foreleg, and as such was considered to have no future in racing. He was sold as a yearling for a mere $1,200 at the Keeneland Sales. Purchased by Edgar Caibett, the horse was shipped to his native Venezuela where it earned an undistinguished record racing as a...
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Canonero II (1968-1981), (in Spanish: Cañonero II) was a Venezuelan champion thoroughbred race horse.
Bred by Edward B. Benjamin in Kentucky, the bay colt was born with a noticeably crooked foreleg, and as such was considered to have no future in racing. He was sold as a yearling for a mere $1,200 at the Keeneland Sales. Purchased by Edgar Caibett, the horse was shipped to his native Venezuela where it earned an undistinguished record racing as a two-year-old.
Because of his breeding, Canonero II qualified for the Kentucky Derby, the most prestigious event in United States thoroughbred horse racing. Trained by Juan Arias and ridden by jockey, Gustavo Avila, in the spring of 1971, the owner shipped them and the horse to Louisville, Kentucky for the big race. There, Canonero II was dismissed as a horse that did not belong in such elite company and was listed at the bottom of the pack of the betting odds as part of a six-horse pool.
In the Derby's 20-horse field, Canonero II shocked...
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