Canonero II (USA)
April 24, 1968 – November 11, 1981
Pretendre (GB) x Dixieland II (USA), by Nantallah (USA)
Family 4-n
April 24, 1968 – November 11, 1981
Pretendre (GB) x Dixieland II (USA), by Nantallah (USA)
Family 4-n
A US$1,200 yearling purchase who spent most of the early part of his career racing in Venezuela, Canonero II was perhaps the unlikeliest Kentucky Derby winner of all time. He was also one of the toughest and gamest, overcoming a nightmare shipping experience, multiple physical issues, and the problems imposed by the language barrier surrounding his connections to win both the Derby and the Preakness Stakes. Illness and exhaustion finally took their toll prior to the Belmont Stakes, in which he finished fourth and emerged with a hock injury. After that, he was to flash the form that had drawn shouts of “Viva Cañonero!” only once more, when running Riva Ridge into the ground to win the 1972 Stymie Handicap. He equaled the American record for 9 furlongs that day, providing American racing with a final glimpse of the “Caracas Cannonball.” He was not a successful sire.
Race record
23 starts, 9 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds, US$360,980 (including converted foreign earnings)
1971:
1972:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old male (1971)
Assessments
Co-highweighted with Bold Reason at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1971. The pair were ranked 2 pounds higher than the four colts sharing third place (Executioner, Jim French, Pass Catcher and Tinajero).
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1972, 7 pounds below champion Autobiography.
As an individual
Canonero II stood 16.1 hands. A workmanlike, plain bay of staying type, he had long cannons and turned out on his right fore from the knee down, giving him a paddling action at racing speed. His right hock also had less than ideal conformation and he was slightly wide in front. Where he excelled was in his courage and determination on the track.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Canonero II sired 53 winners (44.2%) and 4 stakes winners (3.3%) from 120 named foals. He sired nothing remotely approaching his own class but in fairness received mediocre opportunities.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Canonero II was bred by Edward B. Benjamin, who had actually tried to rid himself of Dixieland II twice while she was carrying the champion. After buying her back through his agent, Claiborne Farm manager William Taylor, for US$2,700 from the 1967 Keeneland fall mixed sale, he gave the mare to Taylor. Taylor, equally generous, told Benjamin he could have the mare back any time he wanted, and Benjamin had second thoughts and reclaimed ownership of Dixieland II prior to the birth of her colt. Following Canonero II's sale as a yearling, he was actually owned by Venezuelan manufacturer Pedro Baptista but was registered in the name of Baptista's son-in-law, Edgar Caibett, because of Baptista's financial problems. Canonero II was trained by Juan Arias and was ridden to his Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins by top Venezuelan jockey Gustavo Avila. Following the Belmont Stakes, the colt was purchased by Robert Kleberg of the King Ranch for a reported US$1.5 million and was trained afterwards by Buddy Hirsch. He entered stud in 1973 at the King Ranch but was not a success, although in fairness he never received the quality or quantity of mare support that would have given him a reasonable chance to make good as a sire. A measure of the decline in his perceived value is the fact that in 1981, a share in Canonero II was offered at the Keeneland January mixed sale and fetched a mere US$1,600. Later that year he was sent back to Venezuela, where he died of apparent heart failure in November 1981 at Haras Tamanaco.
Pedigree notes
Canonero II is inbred 5x5 to Blenheim II. He is a half brother to stakes winner Southwillriseagain (by Hoist the Flag); to Picture Book (by Silent Screen), dam of Spanish stakes winner Adelanton; and to Orleans Belle (by Edmundo), third dam of 1989 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Kendor. Canonero II's dam Dixieland II is a full sister to Cute Sweetie, dam of Grade 2 winner Almost Grown (by Assagai). His second dam, Ragtime Band, is out of Martial Air, a full sister to 1936 Matron Stakes winner Wand and to the excellent producer Baton Rouge.
Books and media
Fun facts
Last updated: May 25, 2024
Race record
23 starts, 9 wins, 3 seconds, 4 thirds, US$360,980 (including converted foreign earnings)
1971:
- Won Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico; new track record 1:54)
1972:
- Won Stymie Handicap (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct; equaled American record 1:46-1/5)
- 2nd Carter Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old male (1971)
Assessments
Co-highweighted with Bold Reason at 126 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1971. The pair were ranked 2 pounds higher than the four colts sharing third place (Executioner, Jim French, Pass Catcher and Tinajero).
Rated at 119 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1972, 7 pounds below champion Autobiography.
As an individual
Canonero II stood 16.1 hands. A workmanlike, plain bay of staying type, he had long cannons and turned out on his right fore from the knee down, giving him a paddling action at racing speed. His right hock also had less than ideal conformation and he was slightly wide in front. Where he excelled was in his courage and determination on the track.
As a stallion
According to Jockey Club records, Canonero II sired 53 winners (44.2%) and 4 stakes winners (3.3%) from 120 named foals. He sired nothing remotely approaching his own class but in fairness received mediocre opportunities.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Canonero II was bred by Edward B. Benjamin, who had actually tried to rid himself of Dixieland II twice while she was carrying the champion. After buying her back through his agent, Claiborne Farm manager William Taylor, for US$2,700 from the 1967 Keeneland fall mixed sale, he gave the mare to Taylor. Taylor, equally generous, told Benjamin he could have the mare back any time he wanted, and Benjamin had second thoughts and reclaimed ownership of Dixieland II prior to the birth of her colt. Following Canonero II's sale as a yearling, he was actually owned by Venezuelan manufacturer Pedro Baptista but was registered in the name of Baptista's son-in-law, Edgar Caibett, because of Baptista's financial problems. Canonero II was trained by Juan Arias and was ridden to his Kentucky Derby and Preakness wins by top Venezuelan jockey Gustavo Avila. Following the Belmont Stakes, the colt was purchased by Robert Kleberg of the King Ranch for a reported US$1.5 million and was trained afterwards by Buddy Hirsch. He entered stud in 1973 at the King Ranch but was not a success, although in fairness he never received the quality or quantity of mare support that would have given him a reasonable chance to make good as a sire. A measure of the decline in his perceived value is the fact that in 1981, a share in Canonero II was offered at the Keeneland January mixed sale and fetched a mere US$1,600. Later that year he was sent back to Venezuela, where he died of apparent heart failure in November 1981 at Haras Tamanaco.
Pedigree notes
Canonero II is inbred 5x5 to Blenheim II. He is a half brother to stakes winner Southwillriseagain (by Hoist the Flag); to Picture Book (by Silent Screen), dam of Spanish stakes winner Adelanton; and to Orleans Belle (by Edmundo), third dam of 1989 Poule d'Essai des Poulains (French Two Thousand Guineas, FR-G1) winner Kendor. Canonero II's dam Dixieland II is a full sister to Cute Sweetie, dam of Grade 2 winner Almost Grown (by Assagai). His second dam, Ragtime Band, is out of Martial Air, a full sister to 1936 Matron Stakes winner Wand and to the excellent producer Baton Rouge.
Books and media
- The Ballad of Canonero, a documentary film with an original music score, was named the best sports film of 1972 at the International Film and TV Festival in New York and the Chicago Film Festival. Shot at Belmont Park, it was the first sports documentary to use multiple cameras during filming.
- Canonero II: The Rags to Riches Story of the Kentucky Derby's Most Improbable Winner was written by Milton Toby and published by The History Press in 2014.
- The story of Canonero II's Kentucky Derby victory, “Viva Canonero!”, is the second chapter in The 10 Best Kentucky Derbies. Written by the staff and correspondents of The Blood-Horse, the book was published by Eclipse Press in 2005. A similar account under the same title is the eighth chapter of Greatest Kentucky Derby Upsets, another Blood-Horse compilation which was released by Eclipse Press in 2007.
- "Canonero Segundo" is the 14th chapter of Peter Chew's The Kentucky Derby: The First 100 Years (1974, Houghton Mifflin Company).
- Canonero II is profiled in Chapter 10 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2012 (2003, Eclipse Press).
- Footage of Canonero II’s surprise Kentucky Derby win can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhM4GaH8pW0.
Fun facts
- Canonero II was originally named “Cañonero” in Venezuela but received the suffix “II” after returning to the United States to race at Del Mar as a juvenile because another horse named Canonero had already been registered with The Jockey Club.
- Canonero II's nomination to the Triple Crown races was nearly discarded by Pimlico vice president Chick Lang, who thought he was the victim of a practical joke when Baptista called him at his hotel and asked him to submit the colt's name. Lang wrote down the nomination information on a cocktail napkin, which he was about to throw away before thinking better of it.
- Canonero II turned in perhaps the slowest official pre-Derby work of all time, going a half-mile in :53-4/5. His connections managed to conceal the fact that he had gone 3 furlongs on Derby morning in a sharp :35 until two years later.
- While Canonero II went off in the Derby at official odds of 8-1 as part of the mutuel field, future books for the Derby had him at odds of as high as 500-1 once it was known that he was nominated to the race.
- Canonero II was only the third mutuel field horse to win the Kentucky Derby, and the first to turn the trick since Count Turf won in 1951. (The other field horse to win the Derby was Flying Ebony in 1925.) No horse relegated to the mutuel field has won the Derby since then.
- Following Canonero II's victory in the Preakness Stakes, Maryland governor Marvin Mandel officially proclaimed the colt's connections to be honorary citizens of the state.
- Canonero II's Belmont was attended by 82,694 people, an attendance record for the Belmont Stakes which was not broken until 1999.
- An electrocardiogram taken by Dr. George Burke revealed that Canonero II had a resting heart rate of 30 beats per minute, 5 beats per minute slower than that of the average Thoroughbred. This finding suggested a large, exceptionally efficient heart, contributing to the colt's stamina.
- The Canonero II Stakes at Pimlico was a 9-furlong contest for 3-year-olds on dirt. It was last contested in 2013, when it was a listed race.
- Canonero II's yearling purchase price of US$1,200 was the lowest ever paid for a Kentucky Derby winner sold through the Keeneland sales.
Last updated: May 25, 2024