In the months leading up to the 1971 Kentucky Derby, Canonero II was an unknown horse with a Venezuelan trainer who spoke only Spanish. The Derby "experts" laughed when an exercise boy rode the horse out on the track with no saddle or stirrups. But the laughter promptly ended when Canonero II charged to the front from twenty lengths back to win the Derby, followed by a victory at the Preakness Stakes in track record time. In recounting Canonero II's quest to become the first Triple Crown winner since Citation, award-winning turf historian Milt Toby tells the compelling story of how one man's wildly improbable dream became the dream of a nation and how a bargain-basement yearling born with a crooked front leg became the "people's horse."
Milt Toby is a Central Kentucky author and attorney who has been writing about Thoroughbred racing since the early 1970s. Milt has been to the races on six continents and has a foggy memory of actually cashing a winning ticket or two. He has served as a director of American Horse Publications and Chair of the Kentucky Bar Association's Equine Law Section. Canonero II is his third book about Thoroughbred racing for The History Press. Steve Haskin is a Senior Correspondent for The Blood-Horse publication.