| 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. Canonero II would be voted the Eclipse Award as the 1971 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.
Arias grew up in poverty on a farm in central Venezuela. 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, and received his training licence on 4 July 1959.
References
- "Kentucky Derby: Venezuelan Immigrant Beat the Odds in '71". UPI Archives. 1990-04-28. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
- "Canonero II". American Classic Pedigrees - Avalyn Hunter. 2019-05-26. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
- ^ Reed, William F. (31 May 1971). "WHAT A FIESTA WE WILL HAVE!". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- 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.
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