Juan Arias (horse trainer)

Juan Arias
Born	(1938-05-06)May 6, 1938 Marin, Yaracuy, Venezuela
Major racing wins
U.S. Triple Crown wins: Kentucky Derby (1971) Preakness Stakes (1971)
Significant horses
Canonero II, Discomo, Hassi's Image

Juan D. Arias (born May 6, 1938, in Marin, Yaracuy, Venezuela) is a retired Thoroughbred horse trainer best known for race conditioning Canonero II to win the 1971 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in the United States.[1] Canonero II would be voted the Eclipse Award as the 1971 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.[2]

Arias grew up in poverty on a farm in central Venezuela.[3] As a child, he had hoped to become a pilot in the Venezuelan air force but suffered a hernia which prevented him from going into the training program. Instead, aged fifteen, he became an apprentice to a local horse trainer, and two years later was accepted into the trainers school at La Rinconada, a race track in Caracas,[4] and received his training licence on 4 July 1959.[3]

References

1. "Kentucky Derby: Venezuelan Immigrant Beat the Odds in '71". UPI Archives. 1990-04-28. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
2. "Canonero II". American Classic Pedigrees - Avalyn Hunter. 2019-05-26. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
3. Reed, William F. (31 May 1971). "WHAT A FIESTA WE WILL HAVE!". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
4. ESKENAZI, GERALD (30 May 1971). "The Two Key Figures Leading Canonero II Down the Road to a Triple Crown". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2019.