When Canonero II won the 1971 Kentucky Derby, he generated a rather modest return for a $2 win ticket.
Yet that $19.40 winning ticket on the "Caracas Cannonball" had nothing to do with the Venezuelan shipper’s merits and everything to do with his inclusion in a gargantuan six-horse mutuel field.
Based on his form and a star-crossed trip to the United States, Canonero probably would have been dismissed at 100-1 odds in the 97th Kentucky Derby. Maybe even 200-1, but nothing even remotely close to his 8-1 odds.
When the gates fly open each May at Pimlico Race Course (or Laurel Park in 2026), racing fans celebrate more than just the Preakness Stakes — they honor a legacy rooted in the vision of one man: Oden Bowie. As governor and a sportsman, Bowie recognized the potential for Maryland to become a national leader in Thoroughbred racing.
The Preakness Stakes has long been a proving ground for the toughest and most talented 3-year-olds each year. Run two weeks after the Kentucky Derby, colts have traditionally dominated this middle jewel of the Triple Crown, but its 150-year history has seen a few fillies rise to the challenge and etch their names into history.
Real Quiet did not look or act the part of a champion early in his career. He was so crooked up front that he sold to Michael Pegram for only $17,000 as a yearling in 1996. He was so lacking in girth that his trainer, Bob Baffert, jokingly nicknamed him “The Fish.”
