I think the saddest thing of it all is that at this time these were the 2 greatest racehorses. They could have been bred together and who knows, they might have been a useless pairing or their foals could have been fantastic. Instead they wanted to match the two against each other and lost the better.
I've read up a little bit about Ruffian and apparently her dam gave birth to a few foals that all had rather soft bones...Ruffian is apparently one of these. As amazing as she was, she should have been retired quickly whether they knew about this or not - she showed all the signs.
she still won when you think about it she was in front she was leading she was running with probally a sprained ankle then it broke ruffian is the true winner of that race
I have watched all of Ruffian's prior races to this one. I cannot bring myself to watch her break down. I can't even watch the movie which is probably worse with the sound effects. I did watch the end of the movie however after she was hurt and the following events. I cried like a baby...it was sooo incredibly sad. I also saw the one part when she was on her way to the vet and they panned down to her hoof...I was NOT expecting that. Like most people, I fell in love with her..it breaks my heart.
I've never seen much American racing, but a friend from the States told me about this fantastic filly called Ruffian, and how he thought she would've kicked sand in Zenyatta's face. Intrigued, I checked out her story, and having now seen every race she ran, I can see why she was, and still is, so highly esteemed. Her death was an absolute tragedy, there are far too few memories of this astounding girl.
The beautiful, but ill-fated Ruffian. I wasn't born when Ruffian raced Foolish Pleasure, but I remember watching the 2008 Kentucky Derby on TV and being devastated when Eight Belles collapsed after the finish line, having won second. The lone filly amongst all those colts. Although a number of these horse racing stories have less than happy endings, there is nothing so magnificent as watching a Thoroughbred run.
Think about it...When her flank hit the door of the gate, it pushed all of the pressure onto her front right leg. While a horse is running, they are going so fast that all their pressure goes into that one foot at the front depending on which lead their on. She was also soft boned, if you look at her Bloodline history, Native Dancer started the Soft Bone Genentics. It was a shame really, she was a wonderful horse that Ruffian.
@horsesaremylife31899 I totally agree. I despise the term "destroyed"; it sounds so cold and callous, when in fact it is anything but. The more commonly used term "humanely destroyed" isn't much better, but at least these horses are given a painless injection to tranquilize first and then stop the heart. If only all horses could have such a kind fate.
@cf1970 You think she had a kind fate? Read how she did herself in. The only option left was to euthanize her, but she destroyed herself when the anesthetic wore off.
@whiteash002@whiteash002 Look here, I was referring to the relatively "kind fate" of euthanasia ITSELF compared to slaughter, starvation, etc., NOT the fact that Ruffian re-injured herself and was then euthanized after much fear and pain.What Ruffian went through was tragic. I've never seen you around this channel before, so take a good look around and think about what you are saying before judging me. I am in the know about Ruffian's fate much more than you are giving me credit for. Sheesh.
its not her fault, coming out of anesthetic, its unclear to the horse on whats going on
she thought she was still running, she didnt destroy herself
if she lived, the only think she could do for the rest of her life is stand in a stall, and go out for 5 second walks. she would have lost all her heart and soul standing in a stable and not being able to run
My father was an avid thoroughbred racing fan. Which rubbed off on me as well. After seeing Secretariat win the Triple Crown in 73'. I was also fortunate enough to get to see this magnificent filly race as well. But was unfortunate enough to witness her tragic break down at Belmont on that July day in 75'. Ruffian was special. She stood second to no horse of her era. I agree with Frank Whiteley's assessment. A match-race never proved anything. Except that you're pushing your horse far too hard.
This is why you never see match races anymore, though some tow-horse fields pop up. I saw this on ABC when I was eight years old. The nation was gripped as Ruffian went into surgery. the surgery was actually successful, but she kicked the stall upon awakening. this is why Barbaro woke up in a pool and lived eight months.
here is what happen: her trainer said she shouldn't do this or this would happen. but her owned wanted to race her. so he didn't listen and raced her and this happened. don't belive me? go watch the movie it's pretty scary I cried and I was like 12!
my heart still breaks when I see this. But animals, even human animals, are BORN to run...What a FANTASTIC race until it turned out to be one of the worst tragedies in the sport...
Horses are not the most understandable and cooperative patients when an injury of this type takes place. They always want to stand upright. If I recall she was lying on a table and kicked off the cast on her leg. She became unruly and untreatable at that point and the decision was made to put her down. I can almost guarantee you though that decision was not made in the interest of saving money because even if she never raced again she was worth more alive than dead.
Im not a Horse Race Lover but this kinds of movies always hit the soft spot in my heart..Movies like Sea Biscuit and The Dreamer: Sonador.. RIP for all these Great Race Horses T_T
Thx for the vid cf. I was at this race as a kid and, unfortunately, wasn't into horse racing at the time, so I had no idea what all the hubbub was about. I'll always remember seeing Ruffian stumble through a pair of cheap binoculars I was using and then, later that evening, hearing on the news that Ruffian had to be put down. I guess that burned this race into my memory for as long as I live. I still have the Foolish Pleasure button but the Ruffian button went MIA :(
What I´ve writen is just a bit too long, so I put in two parts.
Maybe I think Rest inm Peace aren´t the right words to say goddbye so such a beautiful horse. She allwasy wanted to run. So she should run along after her death... somewhere up in heaven. And maybe she is wishing for a last chance to show, that she could beat Foolish Pleasure.
Tears in my eyes are telling my emotions.
Please don´t mind my bad english, because I´m from germany =)
In my opinion she won the race, becasue she was in front when she broke down. =(
So, she bet Foolish Pleasure in the end. But all "if" s couldn´t change a thing. It happend and maybe, if she had won this race. People woud loved her, but forgot her after some time. But now, after she broke down I think almost every "Racehorsesknower" and Fan of Horseracing, knows Ruffian, because of this tragically end.
Even after injuring herslf coming out of the gate she still looked liked she owned Foolish Pleasure and Baeza was fully entending his horse and Vasquez was cruising along on Ruffian. What a shame it was to see such a great and beautiful horse like that break down due to a freak start. FP was a very good horse but Ruffian was a great horse.
thats a nice way of saying it desroyed not thats horrible they should ofsaid put to rest or to sleep destroyed is horrible RIP Ruffian hope your having fun racing in the clouds
this video makes me cry to much!!!!! she was a beautiful filly racehorse!!! seh will never leave me heart NEVER!!!! RUFFIAN WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!! R.I.P. BEAUTIFUL ONE!!!
Ruffian- you are a true racer. I'll never forget what races you did. your speed was as fast as sound itself. Ruffian.....Your in Peopels hearts.......Ruffian will always be champ.
They explain it pretty well in the video. The Trainer Frank Whitely says that she hit the gate at the start and that is where the injury took place. She put all her weight on that right ankle and then it was just a matter of time until the bones shattered. I remember seeing it live on CBS and it doesn't get any easier.
I'll never forget that day, I was a kid and it felt like my dog died. At the time we all thought it was those birds. Swore I'd never watch another race. Until recently didn't think anybody remembered Ruffian. Still spooks me whenever I watch a big race on TV. Thanks for sharing.
it looks to me like she was possibly spooked by those birds and that one bird in particular that flew in front of her.. anyone else know anything about this possible theory.
the timing seems like just as that one bird started to fly across the path of the two horses that Ruffian might have caught it out of the corner of her eye and was spooked.
And she was experienced and had seen many birds before, plus she moves to the right side, where the bird's coming from, instead of the left side, away from the bird.
I've also heard that she hit the gate really hard coming out, and her left shoulder was in so much pain she was forced to put her weight to that one leg, and her leg snapped under all that pressure.
I love thoroughbred racing, but not match races. I think it's possibly unnecessarily grueling and risky. And I really don't think that it proves anything about any horse. To judge the abilities of a horse you need to look at a career, not just one race against one other horse.
quarter horses still have match races but what i heard about thouroghbreds is that it takes too much out of em in match races because they dont have a pace setter so they go all out and breakdown more often thats just what i heard dont know if its true
This brings tears to my eyes every time. And it sends chills down my spine to see, since this filly really wanted to win that race, and I'm sure that in the hearts of many she is the true victor of this match. That said, it was fairly traumatic to see the KD when Eight Belles broke down, talk about a flash back.
I have to say - I miss match races. Look at racing before the 50's, match races were the thing. match races originated horse racing. I wish there would be a good match race nowadays.
Agreed. Match races would be a lot of fun to see again, and would create lots of excitement. In the same vein, a Triple Crown winner next week would be a good start to bringing the racing game back to a semblance of its former glory.
I remember watching this race with my granddad, a horse trainer since the 1920s. As Ruffian came out of the gate he said, "She's not going to make it." After learning that she had to be put down, he locked himself in his bedroom for two days.
Thank you for posting this footage. While it's not the best memory I have of my granddad, it's one of the most important.
She would have kicked his overmatched butt...FP would have done well to keep the margin of his defeat to 5 lengths but it likely would have been more. The notion that she fractured while still in the chute is absurd.
I respectfully disagree with your last sentence. It's not absurd to think that she may have fractured her right front in the chute; she did come out of the gate VERY awkwardly, and loaded a lot of weight on her right side. It's entirely possible. That said, no one knows for certain if it did or did not exacerbate her breakdown. It will likely remain a mystery.
She fractured at two and for that reason her freshman campaign ended before competing in the Frizette. Her sire Reviewer fractured at least twice before finally being retired to Claiborne - like his daughter he was brilliant but fragile. I don't know why folks have always looked for some great CLUE as if there is some mystery but the breed is frighteningly fragile and Ruffian even moreso than the average for the breed. Insanely, the chute was closed and abandoned due to this theory.
Yes, I'm well aware of Ruffian's racing career, plight of the breed and fragility of Reviewer; that still doesn't discount the POSSIBILITY that her breakdown was exacerbated by her very awkward start. I'm merely wondering what happened. That said, I agree with the points you make, and whole-heartedly agree that it is insane that they closed the chute because of that incident. Where can one find information about that decision?
The 10 furlong chute was twice closed; 10 furlong races were started in the midst of the first turn and 9.5 furlong races were discontinued altogether. The chute was later reopened for a number of years, and then closed again. For years now 10 furlong races at Belmont begin in the midst of a turn and 9.5 furlong races are no more. The 10 furlong chute extended into the infield of the mile training track, crossed over the mile track and then joined the existing chute at the 9 furlong pole.
Seeing those 10 furlong races beginning on the turn has been unusual, and I've read that some are not, or were not, keen on the idea at all when it was first implemented. I guess what I was really asking was: where can one find information that Ruffian's breakdown was the main contributing factor in the NYRA or Belmont officials' decision to close the chute?
Thanks for the info so far. I'm sure a fair share racing of fans don't know about the history of the chute, so I appreciate the input.
I remember seeing this on television the day of the race and was heartbroken when she broke down...I have no doubt that, Ruffian, the filly with the big heart and even bigger drive to win would have done so.
You're welcome. As for Mr. Whitely's theory, it has merit; Ruffian did slam the gate very hard and extreme load seemed to go to her right side, possibly causing a fracture. She also could very well have been favoring her left side while running. That also would have put more load on her right side, finally causing the breakdown; so it's entirely possible. As for the bad step theory, she did love to run hard and fast, so that's very possible.
Very sad, but it's good to post this footage. Just watching and listening to her trainer and jockey it's clear the kind of impact Ruffian had on their lives.
Such a shame. A horse breaking down is one of the most disturbing things to see. Unbelievable though that she went on for as long as she did. Certainly one of the greats.
Agreed. Ruffian showed great heart to continue in the manner she did considering the pain from shouldering the gate hard. Too bad she was so intent on running even after the breakdown; she just battled on and hated to see Foolish Pleasure pulling away. She has my utmost respect for that.
I think the saddest thing of it all is that at this time these were the 2 greatest racehorses. They could have been bred together and who knows, they might have been a useless pairing or their foals could have been fantastic. Instead they wanted to match the two against each other and lost the better.
GeordieTerrier 4 months ago
She would have won. She was the better one. RIP Ruffian <3
DarkRedKitten 4 months ago
The experience with Ruffian is why Barbaro woke up in a swimming pool after his surgery. Indeed, Ruffian almost saved Barbaro indirectly.
RayGordon4a 8 months ago
I've read up a little bit about Ruffian and apparently her dam gave birth to a few foals that all had rather soft bones...Ruffian is apparently one of these. As amazing as she was, she should have been retired quickly whether they knew about this or not - she showed all the signs.
iRebelliousity 8 months ago
Foolish Pleasure was an amazing horse but ruffian would have won the the race i think rip ruffian sweet dreams in heaven :)
19sadiebug19HS 8 months ago
<3 ruffian<3
CatybelongstoJared 9 months ago
she still won when you think about it she was in front she was leading she was running with probally a sprained ankle then it broke ruffian is the true winner of that race
RAPPIEMYBABY 10 months ago
Ruffian, you stays in our hearts, we love you forever, little filly... ='(
Asiya40 10 months ago
I have watched all of Ruffian's prior races to this one. I cannot bring myself to watch her break down. I can't even watch the movie which is probably worse with the sound effects. I did watch the end of the movie however after she was hurt and the following events. I cried like a baby...it was sooo incredibly sad. I also saw the one part when she was on her way to the vet and they panned down to her hoof...I was NOT expecting that. Like most people, I fell in love with her..it breaks my heart.
marebare71 11 months ago
I've never seen much American racing, but a friend from the States told me about this fantastic filly called Ruffian, and how he thought she would've kicked sand in Zenyatta's face. Intrigued, I checked out her story, and having now seen every race she ran, I can see why she was, and still is, so highly esteemed. Her death was an absolute tragedy, there are far too few memories of this astounding girl.
emmelby 11 months ago
".. Her speed and heart.." made Ruffian immortal ,if not in the annals of racing history, then in my heart.
DaDa2Phlux 1 year ago
ruffian was gonna win
TheKhafre 1 year ago
The beautiful, but ill-fated Ruffian. I wasn't born when Ruffian raced Foolish Pleasure, but I remember watching the 2008 Kentucky Derby on TV and being devastated when Eight Belles collapsed after the finish line, having won second. The lone filly amongst all those colts. Although a number of these horse racing stories have less than happy endings, there is nothing so magnificent as watching a Thoroughbred run.
aurora20XX 1 year ago
Think about it...When her flank hit the door of the gate, it pushed all of the pressure onto her front right leg. While a horse is running, they are going so fast that all their pressure goes into that one foot at the front depending on which lead their on. She was also soft boned, if you look at her Bloodline history, Native Dancer started the Soft Bone Genentics. It was a shame really, she was a wonderful horse that Ruffian.
AvrilSunfury15 1 year ago
Poor Ruffian!!
EarthREALTOR 1 year ago
I LOVE Ruffian, it was a shame she had to be put down. :(
kcolors 1 year ago
i hate how they say she had to be destroyed she wasn't destroyed she was put down humanely
horsesaremylife31899 1 year ago
@horsesaremylife31899 I totally agree. I despise the term "destroyed"; it sounds so cold and callous, when in fact it is anything but. The more commonly used term "humanely destroyed" isn't much better, but at least these horses are given a painless injection to tranquilize first and then stop the heart. If only all horses could have such a kind fate.
Thanks for the comments.
cf1970 1 year ago
@cf1970 You think she had a kind fate? Read how she did herself in. The only option left was to euthanize her, but she destroyed herself when the anesthetic wore off.
whiteash002 1 year ago
@whiteash002 @whiteash002 Look here, I was referring to the relatively "kind fate" of euthanasia ITSELF compared to slaughter, starvation, etc., NOT the fact that Ruffian re-injured herself and was then euthanized after much fear and pain.What Ruffian went through was tragic. I've never seen you around this channel before, so take a good look around and think about what you are saying before judging me. I am in the know about Ruffian's fate much more than you are giving me credit for. Sheesh.
cf1970 1 year ago
@whiteash002
its not her fault, coming out of anesthetic, its unclear to the horse on whats going on
she thought she was still running, she didnt destroy herself
if she lived, the only think she could do for the rest of her life is stand in a stall, and go out for 5 second walks. she would have lost all her heart and soul standing in a stable and not being able to run
TheRubyRose13 11 months ago
RIP Ruffian well miss u
Thx for posting this vid it will be the last race The Greatest Filly will have ever run..
Horsecrazyforever92 1 year ago
I still think...know Ruffian won the race, if her bones were OK. Everyone says, well, the owners and Fans of Foolish Pleasure not :)
Rimfaxe96 1 year ago
My father was an avid thoroughbred racing fan. Which rubbed off on me as well. After seeing Secretariat win the Triple Crown in 73'. I was also fortunate enough to get to see this magnificent filly race as well. But was unfortunate enough to witness her tragic break down at Belmont on that July day in 75'. Ruffian was special. She stood second to no horse of her era. I agree with Frank Whiteley's assessment. A match-race never proved anything. Except that you're pushing your horse far too hard.
GBeret83 1 year ago
35 years to the day and it stil hurts. RIP Ruffian
edgeandmybeaglerule 1 year ago
I have a pin from the day of this race that was given to the crowds. it was called
The great Match (Then spin it 180 degrees) Ruffian. Any idea if this could be worth anything?
xXEleluracanXx 1 year ago
This is why you never see match races anymore, though some tow-horse fields pop up. I saw this on ABC when I was eight years old. The nation was gripped as Ruffian went into surgery. the surgery was actually successful, but she kicked the stall upon awakening. this is why Barbaro woke up in a pool and lived eight months.
BettorOffSingle 1 year ago
Poor Ruffian
thedeath4ever 1 year ago
here is what happen: her trainer said she shouldn't do this or this would happen. but her owned wanted to race her. so he didn't listen and raced her and this happened. don't belive me? go watch the movie it's pretty scary I cried and I was like 12!
TheLyndle 1 year ago
my heart still breaks when I see this. But animals, even human animals, are BORN to run...What a FANTASTIC race until it turned out to be one of the worst tragedies in the sport...
brooklynbiscuit 1 year ago
Horses are not the most understandable and cooperative patients when an injury of this type takes place. They always want to stand upright. If I recall she was lying on a table and kicked off the cast on her leg. She became unruly and untreatable at that point and the decision was made to put her down. I can almost guarantee you though that decision was not made in the interest of saving money because even if she never raced again she was worth more alive than dead.
joefederico 1 year ago
Im not a Horse Race Lover but this kinds of movies always hit the soft spot in my heart..Movies like Sea Biscuit and The Dreamer: Sonador.. RIP for all these Great Race Horses T_T
bulletcrisis 1 year ago
Thx for the vid cf. I was at this race as a kid and, unfortunately, wasn't into horse racing at the time, so I had no idea what all the hubbub was about. I'll always remember seeing Ruffian stumble through a pair of cheap binoculars I was using and then, later that evening, hearing on the news that Ruffian had to be put down. I guess that burned this race into my memory for as long as I live. I still have the Foolish Pleasure button but the Ruffian button went MIA :(
jacdan 1 year ago
Doesn't this make you just want to scream? That poor animal-to see her have to suffer.
gotch09 1 year ago
What I´ve writen is just a bit too long, so I put in two parts.
Maybe I think Rest inm Peace aren´t the right words to say goddbye so such a beautiful horse. She allwasy wanted to run. So she should run along after her death... somewhere up in heaven. And maybe she is wishing for a last chance to show, that she could beat Foolish Pleasure.
Tears in my eyes are telling my emotions.
Please don´t mind my bad english, because I´m from germany =)
holly4524 1 year ago
In my opinion she won the race, becasue she was in front when she broke down. =(
So, she bet Foolish Pleasure in the end. But all "if" s couldn´t change a thing. It happend and maybe, if she had won this race. People woud loved her, but forgot her after some time. But now, after she broke down I think almost every "Racehorsesknower" and Fan of Horseracing, knows Ruffian, because of this tragically end.
holly4524 1 year ago
why! why did she have to die! she was so lovely! crys crys
breyercrazy789 1 year ago
Gone but not forgotten. Rest in peace, beautiful Ruffian. <3
huntresskrystle 2 years ago
RIP Ruffian <3
8JustinMorgan8 2 years ago
Ruffian... the greatest race horse of all time- I wish with all my might I could've seen her run. R.I.P love <3
Arabianz7 2 years ago
Beautiful horse! Great video
Virginislandsnow 2 years ago
Even after injuring herslf coming out of the gate she still looked liked she owned Foolish Pleasure and Baeza was fully entending his horse and Vasquez was cruising along on Ruffian. What a shame it was to see such a great and beautiful horse like that break down due to a freak start. FP was a very good horse but Ruffian was a great horse.
joefederico 2 years ago
wow such a beauty she was. R.I.P sweet one.
I believe she would have won if not for that,
waipolipoli 2 years ago
Awesome horse...RIP
HenesseyMical1986 2 years ago
thats a nice way of saying it desroyed not thats horrible they should ofsaid put to rest or to sleep destroyed is horrible RIP Ruffian hope your having fun racing in the clouds
candy12567 2 years ago
I want Ruffian's Breyer sooooo Much!
TheyNamedHimThrowa 2 years ago
Why did they have to use the word "destroyed"???
clarolecia13 2 years ago
this video makes me cry to much!!!!! she was a beautiful filly racehorse!!! seh will never leave me heart NEVER!!!! RUFFIAN WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!! R.I.P. BEAUTIFUL ONE!!!
ruffianluver1995 2 years ago
Such a beautiful horses...now's one of those times I wish I could travel through time.
My friends Amber horses looks just like her....
Love you Ruffian!
TicKatKitTac 2 years ago
The Battle of the Sexes effectively ended on this day.
BAhern63 2 years ago
She was sooo beautiful and AMAZING. and what makes me the saddest is that she looks identical to my horse Peppy.
lovesmsoutlaw 2 years ago
luv the name Peppy!
tokiohotel9589 2 years ago
the best horse male or female i have ever seen that includes the greats
XxMuffinmafiaxX 3 years ago
still makes me cry..she was so beautiful! i didn't watch racing for quite awhile after this heartbreak.great video..i am so glad she is remembered
rcherasaro 3 years ago
Ruffian- you are a true racer. I'll never forget what races you did. your speed was as fast as sound itself. Ruffian.....Your in Peopels hearts.......Ruffian will always be champ.
HorseLuva132 3 years ago
ruffian will always be my favorite racehorse. she was a real champion.
Marrx33 3 years ago
"That stall will never be occupied as long as I have this barn. There'll never be another horse worthy of entering it."
-Frank Whiteley
Wow.. that's a moving statement made by Mr. Whiteley
ThoroughbredGirl96 3 years ago
@ThoroughbredGirl96 I second that.
Juliaflo 2 years ago
Very great documentation on the filly.
Thanks for posting!!
RidingWithRuffian 3 years ago
that is so sad
ponyjumpergirl101 3 years ago
They explain it pretty well in the video. The Trainer Frank Whitely says that she hit the gate at the start and that is where the injury took place. She put all her weight on that right ankle and then it was just a matter of time until the bones shattered. I remember seeing it live on CBS and it doesn't get any easier.
npspec34 3 years ago
I'll never forget that day, I was a kid and it felt like my dog died. At the time we all thought it was those birds. Swore I'd never watch another race. Until recently didn't think anybody remembered Ruffian. Still spooks me whenever I watch a big race on TV. Thanks for sharing.
avagoodava 3 years ago
it looks to me like she was possibly spooked by those birds and that one bird in particular that flew in front of her.. anyone else know anything about this possible theory.
the timing seems like just as that one bird started to fly across the path of the two horses that Ruffian might have caught it out of the corner of her eye and was spooked.
MOSKII58 3 years ago
I've always thought that, too....
ridingxruffian 3 years ago
She already broke down before the bird got there.
And she was experienced and had seen many birds before, plus she moves to the right side, where the bird's coming from, instead of the left side, away from the bird.
It was just really bad luck. =[
DeVerhevenEland 3 years ago
I've also heard that she hit the gate really hard coming out, and her left shoulder was in so much pain she was forced to put her weight to that one leg, and her leg snapped under all that pressure.
horseluver222 3 years ago
I love thoroughbred racing, but not match races. I think it's possibly unnecessarily grueling and risky. And I really don't think that it proves anything about any horse. To judge the abilities of a horse you need to look at a career, not just one race against one other horse.
DJFPhantomPhan 3 years ago
quarter horses still have match races but what i heard about thouroghbreds is that it takes too much out of em in match races because they dont have a pace setter so they go all out and breakdown more often thats just what i heard dont know if its true
pinchi222 3 years ago
This brings tears to my eyes every time. And it sends chills down my spine to see, since this filly really wanted to win that race, and I'm sure that in the hearts of many she is the true victor of this match. That said, it was fairly traumatic to see the KD when Eight Belles broke down, talk about a flash back.
XxemoxqueenxX 3 years ago
I wish there were still match races. What I would've given to see Cigar and Silver Charm in the 1990s....
ridingxruffian 3 years ago
quarter horses still have match races
pinchi222 3 years ago
I have to say - I miss match races. Look at racing before the 50's, match races were the thing. match races originated horse racing. I wish there would be a good match race nowadays.
carlykaiser 3 years ago
Agreed. Match races would be a lot of fun to see again, and would create lots of excitement. In the same vein, a Triple Crown winner next week would be a good start to bringing the racing game back to a semblance of its former glory.
Go Big Brown!
cf1970 3 years ago
I remember watching this race with my granddad, a horse trainer since the 1920s. As Ruffian came out of the gate he said, "She's not going to make it." After learning that she had to be put down, he locked himself in his bedroom for two days.
Thank you for posting this footage. While it's not the best memory I have of my granddad, it's one of the most important.
frenzychris 3 years ago
Glad you've enjoyed the footage, and for sharing your precious memories.
cf1970 3 years ago
Poor girl. She would have won for sure!
Elisabetta611 3 years ago
this is BY FAR the best footage i have seen of this race god bless her.
RememberRuffian10 3 years ago
She would have kicked his overmatched butt...FP would have done well to keep the margin of his defeat to 5 lengths but it likely would have been more. The notion that she fractured while still in the chute is absurd.
easygoer13 3 years ago 2
I respectfully disagree with your last sentence. It's not absurd to think that she may have fractured her right front in the chute; she did come out of the gate VERY awkwardly, and loaded a lot of weight on her right side. It's entirely possible. That said, no one knows for certain if it did or did not exacerbate her breakdown. It will likely remain a mystery.
cf1970 3 years ago
She fractured at two and for that reason her freshman campaign ended before competing in the Frizette. Her sire Reviewer fractured at least twice before finally being retired to Claiborne - like his daughter he was brilliant but fragile. I don't know why folks have always looked for some great CLUE as if there is some mystery but the breed is frighteningly fragile and Ruffian even moreso than the average for the breed. Insanely, the chute was closed and abandoned due to this theory.
easygoer13 3 years ago 2
Yes, I'm well aware of Ruffian's racing career, plight of the breed and fragility of Reviewer; that still doesn't discount the POSSIBILITY that her breakdown was exacerbated by her very awkward start. I'm merely wondering what happened. That said, I agree with the points you make, and whole-heartedly agree that it is insane that they closed the chute because of that incident. Where can one find information about that decision?
cf1970 3 years ago
The 10 furlong chute was twice closed; 10 furlong races were started in the midst of the first turn and 9.5 furlong races were discontinued altogether. The chute was later reopened for a number of years, and then closed again. For years now 10 furlong races at Belmont begin in the midst of a turn and 9.5 furlong races are no more. The 10 furlong chute extended into the infield of the mile training track, crossed over the mile track and then joined the existing chute at the 9 furlong pole.
easygoer13 3 years ago 2
Seeing those 10 furlong races beginning on the turn has been unusual, and I've read that some are not, or were not, keen on the idea at all when it was first implemented. I guess what I was really asking was: where can one find information that Ruffian's breakdown was the main contributing factor in the NYRA or Belmont officials' decision to close the chute?
Thanks for the info so far. I'm sure a fair share racing of fans don't know about the history of the chute, so I appreciate the input.
cf1970 3 years ago
I agree! She would of left Foolish Pleasure crying for mercy at the finish.... if only she hadn't broke down...
ThoroughbredGirl96 3 years ago
I remember seeing this on television the day of the race and was heartbroken when she broke down...I have no doubt that, Ruffian, the filly with the big heart and even bigger drive to win would have done so.
catface1958 3 years ago 2
Thanks for this video. You know I had never
heard that the breakdown happened coming out
of the starting gate. That's a new theory to
me. Do you think this is true or was it just a
bad step.
JettRink50 3 years ago 3
You're welcome. As for Mr. Whitely's theory, it has merit; Ruffian did slam the gate very hard and extreme load seemed to go to her right side, possibly causing a fracture. She also could very well have been favoring her left side while running. That also would have put more load on her right side, finally causing the breakdown; so it's entirely possible. As for the bad step theory, she did love to run hard and fast, so that's very possible.
Such a brave girl, a true legend.
Have a good week!
cf1970 3 years ago
Very sad, but it's good to post this footage. Just watching and listening to her trainer and jockey it's clear the kind of impact Ruffian had on their lives.
gfn02 4 years ago 2
I agree; this video couldn't be allowed to collect dust.
Her impact and the interest people had/have in her was/is considerable.
cf1970 4 years ago
Certainly so, and I thank you.
gfn02 4 years ago 2
Such a shame. A horse breaking down is one of the most disturbing things to see. Unbelievable though that she went on for as long as she did. Certainly one of the greats.
tatomka 4 years ago 2
Agreed. Ruffian showed great heart to continue in the manner she did considering the pain from shouldering the gate hard. Too bad she was so intent on running even after the breakdown; she just battled on and hated to see Foolish Pleasure pulling away. She has my utmost respect for that.
Take care.
cf1970 4 years ago
I still have the buttons from this race it was so sad
damm416 4 years ago
I'm sure those buttons are a real collectors item now. Did you see the race live or on TV? A sad day indeed.
Take care
cf1970 4 years ago