Cannonade (May 12, 1971 – August 3, 1993) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic ...

best known as the winner of the 1974

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

Background

Owned and bred by prominent businessman

John M. Olin John Merrill Olin (November 10, 1892 – September 8, 1982) was an American businessman. He was the son of Franklin W. Olin. Early life Born in Alton, Illinois, Olin graduated from Cornell University with a B.Sc. degree in chemistry and as a br ...

, Cannonade was foaled at

Gainesway Farm Gainesway Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding business in Lexington, Kentucky. It was originally called Greentree Farms. The 1,500 acre (6 km²) property has been home to stallions such as Youth and Exceller and numerous others w ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

. Cannonade was sired by Bold Bidder, whose other progeny included Spectacular Bid. His dam Queen Sucree was a descendant of the broodmare Almahmoud, making her a member of the same branch of Thoroughbred Family 2-d which produced

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred who, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. He then became one of the most successful sires of the 20th century. He is considered a Canadi ...

Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * Halo (franchise), ...

and Danehill.

Racing career

Racing at age two on the

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a U.S. state, state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the List of U.S. ...

circuit, Cannonade was trained by future Hall of Fame inductee

Woody Stephens Woody Stephens (September 1, 1913 – August 22, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame trainer. Biography Born Woodford Cefis Stephens in Stanton, Kentucky, he had a younger brother named William Ward Stephens who also b ...

. He was beaten twice before earning his first win, then in June captured the now-defunct 5½ furlong Great American Stakes at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Raci ...

. Cannonade's next significant win came on December 29 Aqueduct Handicap at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing ...

, followed by a third-place finish in the important Champagne Stakes. His also won at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana borde ...

, where he won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Cannonade had a racemate named Judger who was owned by Seth Hancock's Cherry Valley Farm. In the spring of 1974, the two 3-year-old colts competed on the

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

racing circuit in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. In the Fountain of Youth Stakes, Judger finished second ahead of Cannonade, who was unplaced. In the Flamingo Stakes, Judger finished third, again ahead of an unplaced Cannonade. Judger then won the important Grade I Florida Derby, with an improving Cannonade taking second.

1974 Kentucky Derby

In front of a record Churchill Downs crowd of 163,628, Cannonade went to the post along with twenty-two other horses in the largest Derby field ever. Because they shared a trainer, Cannonade was coupled with Judger for the

parimutuel wagering Parimutuel betting or pool betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vigorish" are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winnin ...

, and the duo went off as the betting favorite. Ridden by Ángel Cordero Jr., Cannonade worked his way through the unwieldy field and was in front by mile pole. He never relinquished the lead, winning by 2¼ lengths in a time of 2:04 on a track rated as fast. The win was the first in the Derby for both Cordero and Stephens. Stablemate Judger finished a disappointing eighth. In the remaining two legs of the American Triple Crown series, Cannonade finished third in both the

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs ...

Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of O ...

and in the Belmont Stakes at

Darby Dan Farm Darby Dan Farm is a produce, livestock, and thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm founded in 1935 near the Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio by businessman John W. Galbreath. Named for the creek and for Galbreath's son, Daniel M. Galbreath (1 ...

Little Current Little Current (April 5, 1971 – January 19, 2003) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the final two legs of the 1974 U.S. Triple Crown both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. Background Owned and bred by John W. Galbreat ...

Stud record

Cannonade retired after his 1974 racing season to stand at stud at Gainesway Farm. The major winners he produced are: ''c =

colt Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: * Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People *Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places * Colt, Arkansas, United States *Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United State ...

, f =

filly A filly is a female horse that is too young to be called a mare. There are two specific definitions in use: *In most cases, a ''filly'' is a female horse under four years old. *In some nations, such as the United Kingdom and the United States, t ...

Death

Cannonade lived until the age of twenty-two, when he was

euthanized Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditio ...

on August 3, 1993, reportedly due to infirmities of natural causes. He is buried in the Gainesway equine cemetery.

Pedigree

References

Cannonade's Kentucky Derby details and video at the Churchill Downs official Derby website
{{Kentucky Derby Winners 1971 racehorse births 1993 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Derby winners Thoroughbred family 2-d