Canonero II ─ The Rags to Riches Story of the Kentucky Derby's Most Improbable Winner

In the months leading up to the 1971 Kentucky Derby, CaA±onero II was an unknownhorse with a Venezuelan trainer who spoke only Spanish. The Derby a??expertsa??laughed when an exercise boy rode the horse out on the track with no saddle orstirrups. But the laughter promptly ended when CaA±onero II charged to the front from twentylengths back to win the Derby, followed by a victory at the Preakness Stakes intrack record time. In recounting CaA±onero IIa??s quest to become the first TripleCrown winner since Citation, award-winning turf historian Milt Toby tells thecompelling story of how one mana??s wildly improbable dream became the dream of anation and how a bargain-basement yearling born with a crooked front leg becamethe a??peoplea??s horse.a??