By: Elizabeth Rancani

With the brilliant Hoist the Flag fighting for his life after breaking down during a morning gallop, there was no clear Kentucky Derby favorite in the spring of 1971. Any of the remaining three year olds could win the Derby and the list included: Santa Anita Derby winner (Jim French), San Felipe winner (Unconscious), Florida Derby winner (Eastern Fleet) and Blue Grass winner (Impetuosity).

Meanwhile, “The Canonero show” became a joke throughout Kentucky. Canonero, after spending twelve hours on a plane and then another four days in quarantine had lost seventy pounds and was a mess. Since he raced previously in Venzuela the Daily Racing Form had little information on him,

The cast of characters surrounding the horse added to the joke. Owner Pedro Baptista was on the verge of bankruptcy. Juan Arias trained Canonero only when the horse felt like training, and often bareback.

Canonero’s first work was a dawdling half mile in 53 4/5. The papers pounced on him and said, he crawls like a turtle.”

That turtle, however started in the 12th gate at Churchill Downs on May 1st for the 97th Kentucky Derby. He spent the better part of the race at the back of the pack, trailing by as many as twenty lengths.

At the far turn Calumet Farms appeared poised to take another Derby as their stars Eastern Fleet and Bold and Able battled it out. Canonero has other ideas and was just starting to run. He easily ran past the duo and crossed the wire almost four lengths in front.

Disbelief rippled through Louisville. Did this dull looking horse just take down almost two hundred years of American racing tradition? One of the few not surprised was Baptista, whose dead mother came to him in a dream and foretold his colt’s fate. He was back in Caracas and the city rocked as their homebred rolled over nineteen of America’s finest three year olds. Jockey, Gustavo Avila, upon his return was carried through the streets.

Canonero went onto win the Preakness but suffered from a variety of ailments leading up to the Belmont. He lost the coveted Triple Crown by four and a half lengths. Pedro Baptista, rescued from the brink of of financial collapse sold his star after the Belmont to Robert Kleberg of King Ranch for 1.5 million dollars.

Canonero returned to the races the following year, but he was no longer the same horse. He had a new trainer, and perhaps he missed Arias, the man who would kindly talk to him and press his ear against the colt’s head and listen to what he had to say.

He did manage to defeat Meadow Stable’s Derby star, Riva Ridge in the Stymie Handicap and was later retired to Gainesway Farm in Lexington.

Pedro Baptista died thirteen years later at 57. Juan Arias never made it as a successful trainer. Instead he is remembered much like Seabiscuit’s famed jockey, Red Pollard. With the right horse they were able to rise from obscurity, however briefly. They were able to bring out the best in their respective horses; colts that under different hands would have been easy to overlook.

In a stark contrast to Seabiscuit, who had a much longer career, Canonero is not often recognized as a great racehorse. The seventies were, quite possibly the best era for thoroughbred racing so it is easy to get lost among the sports all time greats if you were unlucky enough to race during that decade.

His story fades from memory, but there are few storylines in Derby history that illustrate why horse racing is so integral to American history. Like the American dream, success can be achieved by anyone, even a plucky, bargain basement horse from Caracas.

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