In the months leading up to the 1971 Kentucky Derby, Canonero II was an unknownhorse with a Venezuelan trainer who spoke only Spanish. The Derby "e;experts"e;laughed when an exercise boy rode the horse out on the track with no saddle orstirrups. But the laughter promptly ended when Caonero 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 Caonero II's quest to become the first TripleCrown winner since Citation, award-winning turf historian Milt Toby tells thecompelling story of how one man's wildly improbable dream became the dream of anation and how a bargain-basement yearling born with a crooked front leg becamethe "e;people's horse."e;.