Much more often than not, horses fail to live up to the regal names bestowed upon them. Maiden claiming races are filled with horses that have a "King" or "Queen" in their name. But if a horse ever justified its moniker, few did it as magnificently as Majestic Prince.
Given a name that exuded class, Majestic Prince was indeed equine royalty during a short but spectacular 10-race career that saw him come heart-breakingly close to a Triple Crown sweep in 1969.
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.
