DVD - BALLAD of CANONERO II - 1971 Kentucky Derby & Preakness Winner - RARE!!

On DVD or VHS: In honor of CANONERO II's 1971 Kentucky Derby and Preakness victories 

An extremely RARE 1972 documentary chronicling the preparation of CANONERO II (son of PRETENDRE) - an obscurely bred, crooked legged, harlequin of a horse from Venezuela, for his Triple Crown campaign and tells the story of his conditioner, Juan Arias - the first black trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. Shows rare footage of early morning workouts and scenes from his Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of his training leading up to each big race.

Includes brief comments and interviews from the opposing riders (Angel Cordero, etc.) and his trainer, Juan Arias. See how Juan Arias' unconventional training method of using love instead of fear came through for him as CANONERO II would go on to be the most unlikely and underrated winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes.

CANONERO II, who had been ridiculed by the press and local horsemen, had just concluded the most bizarre journey and adventure in the history of the Triple Crown by traveling from Venezuela to Kentucky and Baltimore and dropping a bombshell stunning the racing world with his authoritative wins in the first two jewels of the Triple Crown being dubbed, the "Caracas Cannonball".

This feature with its own original music score won in its category at the Chicago Film Festival. It was the first sports documentary to employ multiple cameras; eight cameras were used to film the Belmont Stakes and the film’s visual style has become the industry norm for covering horse racing and motor sports.

This very obscure and priceless piece of vintage racing history can be yours!


AS AN ADDED BONUS... a wonderful HRTV segment on CANONERO II is added on at the end of the main feature…enjoy!

 30 Minutes.

Thanks for looking. Winning bidder pays $6 shipping and handling.