I just saw the ending of the film about her and it brought back terrible, terrible memories. Her will to win was incredible and she insisted on proving herself every time out. I am now 69 yrs old and I have never gotten over what happened that day. I will always belive it was the birds that made her misstep. She is appropriately buried near the finish line at Belmont Park and every young person should learn about her and how she ran. She was one in a million............ Bob DeMartin
I just watched the 'Ruffian" movie. I knew what happened before I saw the movie but having a visual to go along... ugh .... this makes me physically sick thinking about what happened... Great horse with unmatched spirit.
@10493929 Even Foolish Pleasure's owner expected Ruffian to win. I watched her (albeit brief) career. She HATED being behind a horse. Once she got the lead, she stayed there. When she broke down & saw another horse in front of her, she got pissed and kept trying to run. Poor thing shattered most of both front legs and the jockey couldn't get her to stop.
To HorseyBecky, bringing a horse like this to a hard stop from such a speed can be very dangerous, and can cause much more damage to its legs. Most jockeys, when riding a horse that stumbles, will instead pull it up gradually and try to get it out of the way of any other horses that may be running. The difference would be in dressage or (Western) reining horses that are trained to come to a sliding stop on command.
The hardest thing about ALL this is that one single question what if she had not broken down? LOVE YOU RUFFIAN YOU ARE MY FAV RACEHORSE EVER EVER EVER!!!
SHE DIFFINITELY IS THE SECRETARAIT OF THE FILLIES, RUFFIAN WILL ALWAYS BE THE BENCHMARK FOR ALL THE FILLIES PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE, MY HEART STILL BREAKS FOR HER ALL THE YEARS LATER, I KNOW HER AND FOOLISH PLEASURE ARE HAVING A BALL IN HEAVEN, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN............................................JHS64
It's so sad to see such a champion like Ruffian breakdown-same goes for any horse, actually. I also dislike how some see Foolish Pleasure as a type of antagonistic scapegoat to blame for the incident.
@gajdijaa she shattered her sesamoid bones, which are extra bones set at the fetlocks. If you look at her right foreleg during the slow motion replay and you only look at the hoof and the ankle you can see it flopping around uselessly and that she's practically running on her bare bone. She refused to stop when her jockey asked, she was a fighting spirit who refused to admit defeat.
This video proves Ruffian's innate desire to run...even after her injury she continued running. Absolutely remarkable. Ruffian will always remain a hero of mine.
So sad.I turned nine years old that day and i remember that like yesterday.We were all rooting for her and she was winning that race.Almost thirty years later became a repeat with Barbaro and to mention Eight Belles just recently.
i havent seen the movie yet.. but watching that brought tears to my eyes. She not only would have won... She would have concoured. RIP Ruffian! Your a hero.
As Frank Whitely said that is racing. She died doing what she loved and was born to do she was running. But it still hurts so badly to see such a beautiful horse go down in such a way. She was my first love in horse racing. I can only wonder to what heights of greatness she would have achieved.
this tape must not be in sych w/ the sound, because the announcer says Ruffian has broken down "BEFORE" anythg happens.. its a few seconds after he says she has broken down that you see Ruffian start to go off to one side & pull up...
@MOSKII58 The replay of Ruffian breaking down is shown in slow motion here, so what you're seeing combined with the real-time track call is what makes it appear to be out of sync. Hope that helps.
this makes me tear up. there's no doubt she would have beat him. no one could have beaten her. and what heart. poor thing. so tragic. 35 years later it still breaks my heart.
she was so determand t o win this race she kept running they might have been able 2 save her if she stopped right away but she wanted to win it for her owners and doing that made her shatter more R.I.P ruffian you will live long ang gallop you hardest in heaven forever
silly girl...she could have been saved had she not had so much desire to run...she ran for ages before finally being pulled to a stop...RIP pretty girl...
Ruffian was the greatest mare I've seen in my life..... That was the worst day. She would've have won and probably be in history and be the best. R.I.P You Ruffian and be with all the other Racehorses that had to leave the earth.
There is no doubt in my mind she would have beaten him. No doubt. Shame. Yes, you can see clearly she came out poorly and it appeared she banged her left shoulder coming out of the gate possibly overcompensating with the leg and well, that is all she wrote. Perhaps if she had been a little older...oh well. RIP Ruffian.
Whiteley swore off any Match Races after this. Ruffian hurt gerself out of the gate but was still kicking FPs butt. He was almost in a full out effort to keep up with her as she loped along. I do not think the opening quarter speed hurt her nor the fact she went against a male horse. It is an unfortunate think with horses as they cannot talk and tell you they are hurting. They do what is in there nature, run. Every effort was made to spare her life but in the end she kicked off her cast.
We will never know what she would have become, such an amazing mare with the heart of all the thoroughbreds around the world. R.I.P. to a truely unforgettable horse.
u know that Frank tryed to talk the owners out of it he wanted to wait till she was more seasons and mature to race he against the colts and he defently did not want it to be a match race but they insisted and this is what happens. if they would have waited for her bones to harden more she would have killed them she was ahead and would have one here if not for the brake down
@horselovergirl92 A year's growth might not have made a difference. Many say Ruffian was bred for fragility as well as brilliance. Her sire Reviewer incurred 3 fractures during a relatively short racing career, and a few yrs after his daughter's death was put down for a fracture in a paddock accident. Her dam Shenaigans also died not that long after Ruffian: she broke 2 legs while waking up from intestinal surgery.
damn! poor mare! i have a horse and gallop him on the trail everyday through horrible terrain... Why does this breakdown happen? I'm keeping my horse chill now.
Things like this just happen. They were both running too hard. Thoroughbreds legs are like twigs, they are so fragile. And Ruffian was such a big horse, running on such a small foot.
I'd say Ruffian won. Not in the sense that she went over the finish line, but how she kept going when she was in pain. That's the thing with her, her heart drove her forward, when her body couldn't any longer.
My grandfather almost sold off his entire herd after this race. He never went to another race. He later went to Arabians. You are right. A lot of men were driven to tears because of this event. I still have trouble watching it.
I still do come to tears watching this. She would have won no doubt. She did win! she is the most amazing mare, no she is the most amazing horse that ever lived! she kept going.............
Ruffian will never b forgotten. she was a great filly. shame she had to race in that race. but a great owner to put her down so she wouldnt have to b in pain all the time. great movie.
This was so tragic. Several years before my time, however, my husband and I watched the movie "Ruffian" on tv, and I was very moved by her story---and still am. She was beautiful.
Alydar, Ruffian and Go for Wnad they changed my life - I am a huge fan of them. I wrote about Ruffian that she never lost a race - she lost it once when at the same time she lost her life.
Back in the million dollar days of the Arabians, my grandfather refused to get involved with thoroughbreds because of this race. I wonder how many other families never got involved because of this single race.
I get upset when i see this beautiful filly break down :( Hot n nasty was like foolish pleasure..she was a match but ruffan beat her :D R.I.P Ruffian we miss you =[
o my I just watched the movie, and Im crying my eyes out! I had never heard of this amazyng mare before, since I live in Iceland. but this is something ill never forget!! I love horses and its devistating when they get injured, just seeing the leg flipp on the side is heartbreaking!
To receive the winner's share of the purse Foolish Pleasure had to finish the race and cross the finish line. I agree with her trainer, she actually fractured her ankle after she hit the gate, at the start, and she jammed it into the ground in an attempt to straiten herself out. As she ran on the fracture it shattered. That's more plausible then a "Bad Step". Ruffian never took a bad step in her life.
oh my gosh....every time i see this amazing filly break down...i cry. im not saying this video is bad.....its just that this video makes me think about ruffian and how she died for the sprot she loved....ill never forget her....RIP ruffian, forever in our hearts.
R.I.P. Ruffian. You were beautiful, sweet, my favorite and a great loss to me. You had so much heart-who knows what you could have accomplished. I was ten when you died and cried my eyes out. Still miss you. I'm sure that you are running to your hearts content in Heaven, and still running past Foolish Pleasure. :-)
i remember all the hype and the television coverage making this a battle of the sexes. it was ridiculous! she was truly on fire and greatness was abundant. we love you ruffian! The days of match races are over, and ruffian paid for it. A sacrifice.
im a horsefan, and the sport of kings is very big also here in Oz,ive seen the movie and read about little about Ruffian,and theres no doubt she made her move and would have run away with it just before the tragedy! but to say shes the greatest very premature! she had yet, so much more to achieve! but comparisons in sport only starts never ending arguements. its a matter of opinion,favouritism,bias,and so forth.She was one of the greatest lets just leave it at that,R.I.P Ruffian.
She was truly a great horse. The heart that these animals have is unmatched. They have a spirit that is untouchable. I have been lucky to have known a few great ones in my years at the track. I only wish I could have met Ruffian.
It makes me cry. She was the best horse to ever set foot on the track... she kept running she had the heart of a "TRUE" racer! That is all that matters, not how fast they are if they have the heart they can beat any other horse out there! RUFFIAN WE MISS YOU <3!
it was said sthat she hit her right shoulder on the gate so she was in great deal of pain, so he put more weight on her left and thats why her left broke so easily.
Poor Horse. One of my mother's friends saw this horse race about 20 or 21 years ago. She's VERY BEAUTIFUL, and this tradgedy shouldn't have hapened to her.
@Ruffian4Ever Laurin was referring to Ruffian when she was a 2-yr-old. She is,
male or female, one of the fastest 2-yr-olds ever to race in the U.S. (I think) Bill
Nack, too, is willing to compare her to Secretariat - *as a 2-yr-old.* As a 3-yr-old she was indisputably great, arguably the greatest 3-yr-old filly to race here, but really not comparable in her achievements to Secretariat or various other top 3-yr-old colts.(I personally think she would have beaten Foolish Pleasure.)
I was just reading about the top ranked horses in history...Ruffian was the only filly that ranked:-) Man O' War and Secretariat ranked as the top two respectively. I still find it very upsetting and tragic what happened to Ruffian. It's very difficult to watch this video...She deserved better than this..
i was nine years old when this race took place. i was so excited to see if ruffian could beat foolish pleasure.i think she could have.. it hurt me so much to see her break down way back in 1975 and still hurts every time i see the footage. she was a great horse.
It's quite obvious in the video that she badly touched the starting gate when jumping out of the box, probably injured her left side, changed gait to the right and lost time to Foolish (what she got back when crossing the camera line).
Yes, it had to hurt Ruffian somewhat slamming the gate like that. Not surprisingly, she made up the small gap to Foolish Pleasure with ease; she wasn't gonna let him get away! :)
It's a common, but not universal, practice for assistant starters to raise their hand with a flourish when releasing a horse from the gate; it helps ensure a fair and safe start. Interestingly, while Ruffians's starter raised his hand, Foolish Pleasure's starter simply let him go. Depends on the starter's preference.
I always gets tears in my eyes while I watch it, watched the movie some months ago and knew the story, just wanted to stop it while they should start that race!
Most people think that Ruffian would have won NOT because of how the race ended, but because she was the BETTER horse. She was pulling away from him before she broke down.>>
Only by half a length...he was right there with her and there was plenty of race to go. But sadly, we'll never know :(
honestly i dont think there is a horse like her. i mean, how she ran. i dont beleive there is a horse that CONSISTANTLY held the front like she did and opend it up even before the sprint and won by a lot... even Secrateriats win by 31 lengths was a once in a life time thing. he wasnt always a front runner
I remember this, I watched this race with my mom, both of us yelling at the top of our lungs, freaking out as she started to pull away. We both sobbed like babies when she broke down. She was an amazing athlete. Tragic.
Oh I remember that race. I stood in my living room yelling for her: GO GIRL GO!!
And then it happened....Ruffian, I know you gallop free now...no earthly ties. We still speak of you with love and awe; and will, always. ps...she had him, you know ;)
I remember when this happened. It was one of the saddest days ever. There was so much good feeling going into this race, and to have such a tragic ending was like having your insides ripped out.
What made it more of a shame is that they couldn't save her.
wudnt it b cool if they somehow got all champion horses (Phar Lap, Ruffian, Makybe Diva, Seabiscuit etc.) n put them in a race 2gether? if they were all born in same year n stuff and put against eachother 2 c who won. how interesting wud that b? i wud luv 2 c it.
Poor poor Ruffian. she passed on after breakin down in her last and 11th race. she won 10 out of 10 races, but sadly died in her 11th. c how she didnt want 2 stop? such a focused n determined horse. love her. God bless you, Ruffian. ur 4eva in my heart.
Heartbroken. Again. I was 9 when Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure raced. Foolish Pleasure was my favorite horse of all time, and I was so excited to see him and Ruffian go head to head. I remember when all of a sudden Foolish Pleasure left her behind, and my mom screaming "something's wrong with her!!" A knife went into my heart. Flash forward to Barbaro, that same sick pain. Now Eight Belles. Dear God, the tragedies need to stop. I will never forget any of them.
The loss of Eight Bells today reminded me of Ruffian breaking down (I was 12 at the time)...and of course, here is that sad moment on YouTube. I concur with copdout...another sad day in racing today.
Ruffian was still a great horse. Even though she didn't win, there could of been a possible thought of her beating Foolish Pleasure. She could beat any horse, if she was given the chance. Breaking down may have stopped her, but that didn't stop her strength and speed.
Excellent points Theyseeus. As I've mentioned here before, I was distraught for weeks after Ruffian broke down. But I believe because of the way Ruffian's career ended, people think it is a fait accompli that she would have defeated Foolish Pleasure.
Foolish Pleasure worked 1/2 mile in :44 4/5 leading up to the Match Race. And he ran against tougher competition than Ruffian. He won the Derby, and also defeated the great Forego.
It is not inconceivable he might have beaten Ruffian too.
Most people think that Ruffian would have won NOT because of how the race ended, but because she was the BETTER horse. She was pulling away from him before she broke down.
I think Foolish Pleasure was an excellent horse, I'm not discounting that, but no one can discount that Ruffian was just as good, AND that she was leading him. Plus, she broke more records than he did, and she ran a mile in 1:35 2/5. I don't think Foolish Pleasure could do that.
I just saw the ending of the film about her and it brought back terrible, terrible memories. Her will to win was incredible and she insisted on proving herself every time out. I am now 69 yrs old and I have never gotten over what happened that day. I will always belive it was the birds that made her misstep. She is appropriately buried near the finish line at Belmont Park and every young person should learn about her and how she ran. She was one in a million............ Bob DeMartin
juliautnitskaya 2 weeks ago
R.I.P... great horse...
Arimeina 2 weeks ago
i named my dog after her so she will never be forgotton in my family
ruffianbreyerstar 2 months ago
I just watched the 'Ruffian" movie. I knew what happened before I saw the movie but having a visual to go along... ugh .... this makes me physically sick thinking about what happened... Great horse with unmatched spirit.
BrownLaura8847 3 months ago
wow..ruffian... after i saw this movie i cried along... R.I.P in paradise...
siddymotion97 3 months ago
Ruffian, R.I.P.! I realy love you!! <3 my little angel!! you are in my heart! always! <3<3<3
hestramona 3 months ago
I never saw this. Terrible. Makes me ill. They ran her too much till she broke down.
chopard4545 4 months ago
;( we never Forget her
Flemmingkjuh 5 months ago
@10493929 Even Foolish Pleasure's owner expected Ruffian to win. I watched her (albeit brief) career. She HATED being behind a horse. Once she got the lead, she stayed there. When she broke down & saw another horse in front of her, she got pissed and kept trying to run. Poor thing shattered most of both front legs and the jockey couldn't get her to stop.
brigidfitch 6 months ago
Que animal tan hermoso. Ruffian siempre serás la mejor!!
milagrosyadira 6 months ago
Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure are Actually cousin's
TheExoticAnimal 6 months ago
@TheExoticAnimal Yes, they have the same grandsire, Bold Ruler.
Asiya40 6 months ago in playlist RACE HORSES
i never forgot her
apfelschorle96 6 months ago
Not so very good start .//
Msmusicca 6 months ago
:/
CharLyBabiiex3 7 months ago
Such a sad day. She would have ran away from him. Even banging into the gate and coming out sideways she caught right up and took the lead.
priscs 7 months ago
@priscs This is why they no longer run 1 1/4 miles from the chute at Belmont.
RayGordon4a 7 months ago
<3 :(
TheOklahomacity 8 months ago
i <3 ruffian she may have broken down but she won the race at heart she should ahve won i wish she was still alive
gallopfullspeed 8 months ago
To HorseyBecky, bringing a horse like this to a hard stop from such a speed can be very dangerous, and can cause much more damage to its legs. Most jockeys, when riding a horse that stumbles, will instead pull it up gradually and try to get it out of the way of any other horses that may be running. The difference would be in dressage or (Western) reining horses that are trained to come to a sliding stop on command.
DustyLady58 8 months ago
The hardest thing about ALL this is that one single question what if she had not broken down? LOVE YOU RUFFIAN YOU ARE MY FAV RACEHORSE EVER EVER EVER!!!
wolfsrule100 8 months ago
she will always be in my heart
meadowvale1000 8 months ago
i cant belive she ran for so long after the injury ! bless her rip little girll <3
HorseyBecky 9 months ago
It's horrible when Ruffian breaks her leg ! She must have suffered !!!
Asiya40 9 months ago
Queen of Kings <3
EgyptianSphinx013 9 months ago
SHE DIFFINITELY IS THE SECRETARAIT OF THE FILLIES, RUFFIAN WILL ALWAYS BE THE BENCHMARK FOR ALL THE FILLIES PAST PRESENT AND FUTURE, MY HEART STILL BREAKS FOR HER ALL THE YEARS LATER, I KNOW HER AND FOOLISH PLEASURE ARE HAVING A BALL IN HEAVEN, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN............................................JHS64
1badls6 10 months ago
She's still Racing Queen!
BeatOfFreedom 11 months ago
It's so sad to see such a champion like Ruffian breakdown-same goes for any horse, actually. I also dislike how some see Foolish Pleasure as a type of antagonistic scapegoat to blame for the incident.
BackstretchUnderdog 11 months ago
She was a racer at heart even after she broke her leg she wanted to keep running
6horsesrock6 1 year ago
She will be in my heart always!!
Emowolf126 1 year ago
;[[[[
TheSzkapa1 1 year ago
I miss Ruffian! She was Truly an amazing horse!
templadoluver45 1 year ago
we love you ruffian.
you'll forever be the greatest filly to run <3
CookieLouie17 1 year ago
@CookieLouie17 sorry for asking....but what happened? i can't see any broken ankles or anything...
gajdijaa 1 year ago
@gajdijaa she shattered her sesamoid bones, which are extra bones set at the fetlocks. If you look at her right foreleg during the slow motion replay and you only look at the hoof and the ankle you can see it flopping around uselessly and that she's practically running on her bare bone. She refused to stop when her jockey asked, she was a fighting spirit who refused to admit defeat.
xxdragonXqueenxx 1 year ago
This video proves Ruffian's innate desire to run...even after her injury she continued running. Absolutely remarkable. Ruffian will always remain a hero of mine.
anunreliablenarrator 1 year ago
did you knowwww!
that ruffian and foolish pleasure were related!!!
thier grandsire for both of them was bold ruler!
xxcrystlecityxx 1 year ago
Ruffian!! NO! :'(
equus65 1 year ago
poor girl....
AustralianWolf11 1 year ago
So sad.I turned nine years old that day and i remember that like yesterday.We were all rooting for her and she was winning that race.Almost thirty years later became a repeat with Barbaro and to mention Eight Belles just recently.
openedup09 1 year ago
one of the saddest days in horse racing. one of the greatest mares to ever race.
betty0danger 1 year ago
its sad that a horse of her level could never finish that race.......
xxXSkyPackXxx 1 year ago
A friend of mine was at this as a teenager. He said people were balling all over the place
crossbronx63 1 year ago
i havent seen the movie yet.. but watching that brought tears to my eyes. She not only would have won... She would have concoured. RIP Ruffian! Your a hero.
4everAndEverAmen 1 year ago
As Frank Whitely said that is racing. She died doing what she loved and was born to do she was running. But it still hurts so badly to see such a beautiful horse go down in such a way. She was my first love in horse racing. I can only wonder to what heights of greatness she would have achieved.
ppwers00 1 year ago
Shes beautiful Wouldnt have definitely won .......Amazing Horse. Love Barbaro as well and Oh Secretariat ....
Benzzzzz 1 year ago
wow. in the movie they did a great job re-enacting that last race. re-enacting may not be the right word. but i think the message is understood lol.
Foreverlost2011 1 year ago
she would have won that race. i know it.
ISuperClarexD 1 year ago
@ISuperClarexD ........No doubt about it. I was pulling for Foolish Pleasure that day but Ruffian was going to win. What a shame !!
coolsouthernrain75 1 year ago
She was going to win
barbraherdegen07 1 year ago
Wow I saw movie yesterday. Cried. :(
skilling4eva 1 year ago
It was because of the racing fans that she raced that day. i hope they were happy with what they got.
KissableCoosa 1 year ago
this tape must not be in sych w/ the sound, because the announcer says Ruffian has broken down "BEFORE" anythg happens.. its a few seconds after he says she has broken down that you see Ruffian start to go off to one side & pull up...
MOSKII58 1 year ago
@MOSKII58 The replay of Ruffian breaking down is shown in slow motion here, so what you're seeing combined with the real-time track call is what makes it appear to be out of sync. Hope that helps.
cf1970 1 year ago
@MOSKII58 no its in sync, if you watch closesly she stumbles and then the announcer siad she had broken down
RuffianQueenOfRacing 9 months ago
foolish pleasure is my horse's grandfather .. both of these horses are amazing
nnicole94 1 year ago
She was such a beautiful horse. I can remember it like it was yesterday. Poor girl.
Luna810 1 year ago
this makes me tear up. there's no doubt she would have beat him. no one could have beaten her. and what heart. poor thing. so tragic. 35 years later it still breaks my heart.
FoXXXyLady429 1 year ago
R.I.P Ruffian, the racing queen. You were the greatest, you will not be forgotten.
LuvinCharmingPassion 1 year ago
she was so determand t o win this race she kept running they might have been able 2 save her if she stopped right away but she wanted to win it for her owners and doing that made her shatter more R.I.P ruffian you will live long ang gallop you hardest in heaven forever
katnjas 1 year ago
silly girl...she could have been saved had she not had so much desire to run...she ran for ages before finally being pulled to a stop...RIP pretty girl...
missmoo121 1 year ago
Ruffian was the greatest mare I've seen in my life..... That was the worst day. She would've have won and probably be in history and be the best. R.I.P You Ruffian and be with all the other Racehorses that had to leave the earth.
MsJaneHeartgull 1 year ago
Horrible day.
AllBobsAllTheTime 1 year ago
There is no doubt in my mind she would have beaten him. No doubt. Shame. Yes, you can see clearly she came out poorly and it appeared she banged her left shoulder coming out of the gate possibly overcompensating with the leg and well, that is all she wrote. Perhaps if she had been a little older...oh well. RIP Ruffian.
edgeacebeaglebrady 1 year ago
Whiteley swore off any Match Races after this. Ruffian hurt gerself out of the gate but was still kicking FPs butt. He was almost in a full out effort to keep up with her as she loped along. I do not think the opening quarter speed hurt her nor the fact she went against a male horse. It is an unfortunate think with horses as they cannot talk and tell you they are hurting. They do what is in there nature, run. Every effort was made to spare her life but in the end she kicked off her cast.
joefederico 1 year ago
We will never know what she would have become, such an amazing mare with the heart of all the thoroughbreds around the world. R.I.P. to a truely unforgettable horse.
Soccerfever2014 1 year ago
u know that Frank tryed to talk the owners out of it he wanted to wait till she was more seasons and mature to race he against the colts and he defently did not want it to be a match race but they insisted and this is what happens. if they would have waited for her bones to harden more she would have killed them she was ahead and would have one here if not for the brake down
horselovergirl92 1 year ago
@horselovergirl92 A year's growth might not have made a difference. Many say Ruffian was bred for fragility as well as brilliance. Her sire Reviewer incurred 3 fractures during a relatively short racing career, and a few yrs after his daughter's death was put down for a fracture in a paddock accident. Her dam Shenaigans also died not that long after Ruffian: she broke 2 legs while waking up from intestinal surgery.
marysueeasteregg 1 year ago
She had my heart from the start!
downthestretch 1 year ago
did yousee how she came out of the starting gate? soemthing was wrong from the start
Letswinjeff 1 year ago
damn! poor mare! i have a horse and gallop him on the trail everyday through horrible terrain... Why does this breakdown happen? I'm keeping my horse chill now.
toritotuti 1 year ago
Things like this just happen. They were both running too hard. Thoroughbreds legs are like twigs, they are so fragile. And Ruffian was such a big horse, running on such a small foot.
TheNobodyYouKnow 1 year ago
you can see her front right leg flop as she hobbles to the outside of the course poor girl..she still tried to run
mightyminimouse 1 year ago
I'd say Ruffian won. Not in the sense that she went over the finish line, but how she kept going when she was in pain. That's the thing with her, her heart drove her forward, when her body couldn't any longer.
RandomPerson652 2 years ago
it was terrible, she would have won anyway, poor filly, i wish she never broke down
ZenyattaFanatic911 1 year ago
She was some legend. If that didnt happen she would have WON!
HopIslandStableGirls 2 years ago
My grandfather almost sold off his entire herd after this race. He never went to another race. He later went to Arabians. You are right. A lot of men were driven to tears because of this event. I still have trouble watching it.
dirtyproduction 2 years ago
I still do come to tears watching this. She would have won no doubt. She did win! she is the most amazing mare, no she is the most amazing horse that ever lived! she kept going.............
tayganandmeglor 1 year ago
...a lot of grown men had tears in their eyes that day, I know.......
Doogle973 2 years ago
this is awful what happened to her. she wouldve won...
ronnieiscool656 2 years ago
she would have won if she had not been hurt
circlemfarm8002 2 years ago
There are horses liek that that can make you get up in the morning whne you cant be bothered but whne you do its worht the whole thing
TheHorseDude 2 years ago
Oh, no. I forgot this was where...
I never would have clicked on it otherwise. After all these years, it still breaks my heart.
nameofthepen 2 years ago
: ((
Ruffian < 33
FisiOwA 2 years ago
Ruffian will never b forgotten. she was a great filly. shame she had to race in that race. but a great owner to put her down so she wouldnt have to b in pain all the time. great movie.
tigloveshorses 2 years ago
This was so tragic. Several years before my time, however, my husband and I watched the movie "Ruffian" on tv, and I was very moved by her story---and still am. She was beautiful.
katemccoy80 2 years ago
I miss her soo much and I am taking it out on Follish Pleasure for some reason
terror123ola 2 years ago
what a drama!
Alydar, Ruffian and Go for Wnad they changed my life - I am a huge fan of them. I wrote about Ruffian that she never lost a race - she lost it once when at the same time she lost her life.
Don't forget them.
Best wishes
Dana
dcddjc 2 years ago
Rachel Alexandra is now the rage, but let's not forget the great Ruffian!
mstrunn 2 years ago
errytime i watch this i crii like crazyyyy!
i love yu Ruffian <333
RIP.
jumpingal16 2 years ago
me too
katemccoy80 2 years ago
Back in the million dollar days of the Arabians, my grandfather refused to get involved with thoroughbreds because of this race. I wonder how many other families never got involved because of this single race.
dirtyproduction 2 years ago
She`s in my heart forever...INMORTAL RUFFIAN.......
crisbio28 2 years ago
I get upset when i see this beautiful filly break down :( Hot n nasty was like foolish pleasure..she was a match but ruffan beat her :D R.I.P Ruffian we miss you =[
xpunkxrockxemoxgirlx 2 years ago
RIP Ruffian.
It has been 34 years (yesterday June 7th) that you have been running up in heaven making the colts cry uncle.
horseygal235 2 years ago
o my I just watched the movie, and Im crying my eyes out! I had never heard of this amazyng mare before, since I live in Iceland. but this is something ill never forget!! I love horses and its devistating when they get injured, just seeing the leg flipp on the side is heartbreaking!
RaijaAntilope 2 years ago
Today (July 6) is the anniversary of "The Match Race." 34 years later we still remember the great Ruffian. Champions do live forever!!!
mvlach77 2 years ago
To receive the winner's share of the purse Foolish Pleasure had to finish the race and cross the finish line. I agree with her trainer, she actually fractured her ankle after she hit the gate, at the start, and she jammed it into the ground in an attempt to straiten herself out. As she ran on the fracture it shattered. That's more plausible then a "Bad Step". Ruffian never took a bad step in her life.
luvtowin 2 years ago
i agree with you, that makes sense. but think, she still was drawing ahead of foolish pleasure when her leg shattered.
Hpiddy645 2 years ago
how long was the race?
it should have been 800m or less
djsoogee 2 years ago
Ruffian hätte gewonnen - . -
CasiiBester 2 years ago
I love this horse's spirit.
totherevolution 2 years ago
I'll never forget Ruffian. She was a great competitor. It's so sad...Her spirit lives today - pushing towards the finish line.
totherevolution 2 years ago
girl you would of won...
breyer4life 2 years ago
There was no need 4 that match race... "RIP" RUFFIAN you deserved so much better x
mollylambchops 2 years ago
good video. but it's so sad...poor Ruffian
Signs2102 2 years ago
It's just unfortunate it happens to the great ones.
pleasantcolony 2 years ago
She was simply the best! So sad it ended that way. In the biggest match in her life..
hcyvonne1 2 years ago
she would've won too...
gwgallopergirl 2 years ago
I watched this race on tv, and saw when this happened. IMHOP it was a hollow victory for Foolish Pleasure.
SweetSue4 2 years ago
Это была самая лучшая кобыла!И она победила!Хочется плакать смотря на это,это была последняя гонка в её жизни...Несомненно она лучше этого жеребца!
Lilia657 2 years ago
R.I.P Ruffian to bad your life ended that way
HorseIsle111 2 years ago
Poor Ruffian! Ruffian was the best filly and Zenyatta is the second best!
barrelracer4lifecg13 2 years ago
oh my gosh....every time i see this amazing filly break down...i cry. im not saying this video is bad.....its just that this video makes me think about ruffian and how she died for the sprot she loved....ill never forget her....RIP ruffian, forever in our hearts.
RuffianDesire 2 years ago
R.I.P. Ruffian. You were beautiful, sweet, my favorite and a great loss to me. You had so much heart-who knows what you could have accomplished. I was ten when you died and cried my eyes out. Still miss you. I'm sure that you are running to your hearts content in Heaven, and still running past Foolish Pleasure. :-)
yankeegirl1210 2 years ago
I love horses 2, theres nthnin else in the world than them and the ppl how luv them. Ruffian is my FAV. i love her, i miss her two. :((
If you love ruffian and barbaro, or anyother horses, sub. me. cheack out my accont.
SaraJeans0 2 years ago
i remember all the hype and the television coverage making this a battle of the sexes. it was ridiculous! she was truly on fire and greatness was abundant. we love you ruffian! The days of match races are over, and ruffian paid for it. A sacrifice.
starzinliberty 3 years ago
Ruffian was the best racehorse in the world, well, best horse in the world. I wish she was still alive. RIP Ruffian we all miss you so.
secrethorse4 3 years ago
My gos this video is sending me crying this is like my fav race horse and the worlds greatest filly .......
R.I.P. Ruffian
dropkick202 3 years ago
poor ruffian...i miss her alot
XxXluvmeXhateuXxX 3 years ago
Ruffian was a very brave and amazing horse.
RIP Ruffian. (We all miss you)
starlight151cp 3 years ago
im a horsefan, and the sport of kings is very big also here in Oz,ive seen the movie and read about little about Ruffian,and theres no doubt she made her move and would have run away with it just before the tragedy! but to say shes the greatest very premature! she had yet, so much more to achieve! but comparisons in sport only starts never ending arguements. its a matter of opinion,favouritism,bias,and so forth.She was one of the greatest lets just leave it at that,R.I.P Ruffian.
dulcifyfj 3 years ago
Agreed. My own opinion is Ruffian gets a boost from Martyr Syndrome. I don't think she should rank above some great females who faced and beat males.
theOlLineRebel 3 years ago
they said she was never behind and a race and never lost, and now shes gone... RIP
sydnieanthonyiero22 3 years ago
Rest in peace, beautiful girl. What a wonder you were!
sheltiesong 3 years ago
GO RUFFIAN!!! WOOHOO!! Ruffian is my favorite racehorse of ALL time!
FriesianFeathers 3 years ago
Ruffian was the greatest race horse in the world.. this video makes me cry..
but thank you for post it!
xNarrada 3 years ago
She was truly a great horse. The heart that these animals have is unmatched. They have a spirit that is untouchable. I have been lucky to have known a few great ones in my years at the track. I only wish I could have met Ruffian.
carlito2304 3 years ago
She kept running even though she was down, that makes me cry!
theAlchemistfox 3 years ago
It makes me cry. She was the best horse to ever set foot on the track... she kept running she had the heart of a "TRUE" racer! That is all that matters, not how fast they are if they have the heart they can beat any other horse out there! RUFFIAN WE MISS YOU <3!
flipflopcrazy 3 years ago
I saw this race as a kid.
I still cannot bring myself to watch this video. The second it goes to slow motion, my heart jumps and I turn it off.
What a beautiful animal. Gone too soon. Enough said.
bbmtge 3 years ago
that's sad
horseluver1699 3 years ago
Ruffian was the greatest racer..she inspiried thousnds of people...in this race...she kept going....Rest in peace Ruffian. :(
Spottednose146 3 years ago
it was said sthat she hit her right shoulder on the gate so she was in great deal of pain, so he put more weight on her left and thats why her left broke so easily.
timidwolfchild 3 years ago
ruffian you are a very legend!!!!
blackhorse96 3 years ago
Oh wow, you can see her leg, :( poor girl, she was amazing
kafen1194 3 years ago
Poor Horse. One of my mother's friends saw this horse race about 20 or 21 years ago. She's VERY BEAUTIFUL, and this tradgedy shouldn't have hapened to her.
Horsesrock54 3 years ago
to me ruffian was the greatest filly ever to step on the track.
VanorOrion 3 years ago
You can throw out the "filly" part and insert "racehorse". Even Secretartiat's trainer said she was better than him.
Ruffian4Ever 3 years ago
Lucien Laurin said "As God as my witness, she MAY be even better than Secretariat." He was certainly not definitive in his opinion.
cf1970 3 years ago
@Ruffian4Ever Ruffian was a Great great great Horse...Dont think she was Better than Big Red
badumpy 1 year ago
@Ruffian4Ever Laurin was referring to Ruffian when she was a 2-yr-old. She is,
male or female, one of the fastest 2-yr-olds ever to race in the U.S. (I think) Bill
Nack, too, is willing to compare her to Secretariat - *as a 2-yr-old.* As a 3-yr-old she was indisputably great, arguably the greatest 3-yr-old filly to race here, but really not comparable in her achievements to Secretariat or various other top 3-yr-old colts.(I personally think she would have beaten Foolish Pleasure.)
marysueeasteregg 1 year ago
I was just reading about the top ranked horses in history...Ruffian was the only filly that ranked:-) Man O' War and Secretariat ranked as the top two respectively. I still find it very upsetting and tragic what happened to Ruffian. It's very difficult to watch this video...She deserved better than this..
cmf4321 3 years ago
i was nine years old when this race took place. i was so excited to see if ruffian could beat foolish pleasure.i think she could have.. it hurt me so much to see her break down way back in 1975 and still hurts every time i see the footage. she was a great horse.
VanorOrion 3 years ago
I miss Ruffian!
Silverstream9090 3 years ago
The 70's; what a decade for horse racing.
mylegsareswollen 3 years ago
It's quite obvious in the video that she badly touched the starting gate when jumping out of the box, probably injured her left side, changed gait to the right and lost time to Foolish (what she got back when crossing the camera line).
Why is the starter in the box raising his hand?
taunusreiter 3 years ago
Yes, it had to hurt Ruffian somewhat slamming the gate like that. Not surprisingly, she made up the small gap to Foolish Pleasure with ease; she wasn't gonna let him get away! :)
It's a common, but not universal, practice for assistant starters to raise their hand with a flourish when releasing a horse from the gate; it helps ensure a fair and safe start. Interestingly, while Ruffians's starter raised his hand, Foolish Pleasure's starter simply let him go. Depends on the starter's preference.
cf1970 3 years ago
thats so sad she was not even that old :'(
harelykool 3 years ago
I always want to cry when I see this ;_;
R.I.P Ruffian, a beautiful and amazing horse.
NinjaTeddeh 3 years ago
I always gets tears in my eyes while I watch it, watched the movie some months ago and knew the story, just wanted to stop it while they should start that race!
JeayL 3 years ago
Too much gorgeous-ness in one horse. O_O How can a filly be that pretty?
ridingxruffian 3 years ago
She had him in 2 strides and was pulling away. No doubt she was the victor. Firecat6232,youre right my friend, she had him.
CraftyTequila 3 years ago
hat die sich nicht das bein gebrochen oda so =O
armes pony =(
LifeOfMarshmallo 3 years ago
POOR RUFFIAN!!!!! :(
jlw1696 3 years ago
omg :'( i wont to cry it was a wonderful horse
ruffian ... is a star .... for ever
the champion of the heart
DarkAngle002 3 years ago
i love ruffian she is my favorite horse 4ever
ily ruffian
horsez411 3 years ago
it was so sad when she brock done she was such anazing horse and i miss her so much!
r.i.p ruffian!
barbaroluver1996 3 years ago
shes amazing! that horse runs becuase she loves it...she does what she was supposed to do and thats what makes her a true race horse
Sage137 3 years ago
Most people think that Ruffian would have won NOT because of how the race ended, but because she was the BETTER horse. She was pulling away from him before she broke down.>>
Only by half a length...he was right there with her and there was plenty of race to go. But sadly, we'll never know :(
basboll 3 years ago
I love ruffian she is the best i cant beleve she is gone!
glassrose44 3 years ago
honestly i dont think there is a horse like her. i mean, how she ran. i dont beleive there is a horse that CONSISTANTLY held the front like she did and opend it up even before the sprint and won by a lot... even Secrateriats win by 31 lengths was a once in a life time thing. he wasnt always a front runner
RememberRuffian10 3 years ago
Rest in Peace Ruffian! x''(
lorlifi 3 years ago
I remember this, I watched this race with my mom, both of us yelling at the top of our lungs, freaking out as she started to pull away. We both sobbed like babies when she broke down. She was an amazing athlete. Tragic.
rbnrnnr 3 years ago
Oh I remember that race. I stood in my living room yelling for her: GO GIRL GO!!
And then it happened....Ruffian, I know you gallop free now...no earthly ties. We still speak of you with love and awe; and will, always. ps...she had him, you know ;)
firecat6232 3 years ago
I remember when this happened. It was one of the saddest days ever. There was so much good feeling going into this race, and to have such a tragic ending was like having your insides ripped out.
What made it more of a shame is that they couldn't save her.
zenmachinefilms 3 years ago
I remember that race, it was a sad ending for a great, great horse. Too bad.
winsome1235 3 years ago
wudnt it b cool if they somehow got all champion horses (Phar Lap, Ruffian, Makybe Diva, Seabiscuit etc.) n put them in a race 2gether? if they were all born in same year n stuff and put against eachother 2 c who won. how interesting wud that b? i wud luv 2 c it.
HorsePsycho 3 years ago
Poor poor Ruffian. she passed on after breakin down in her last and 11th race. she won 10 out of 10 races, but sadly died in her 11th. c how she didnt want 2 stop? such a focused n determined horse. love her. God bless you, Ruffian. ur 4eva in my heart.
HorsePsycho 3 years ago
Heartbroken. Again. I was 9 when Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure raced. Foolish Pleasure was my favorite horse of all time, and I was so excited to see him and Ruffian go head to head. I remember when all of a sudden Foolish Pleasure left her behind, and my mom screaming "something's wrong with her!!" A knife went into my heart. Flash forward to Barbaro, that same sick pain. Now Eight Belles. Dear God, the tragedies need to stop. I will never forget any of them.
TigergirlM 3 years ago
i cant belive that i loved three horses and they have al died from injuries ruffian eight belles and barbaro
waffleluver29 3 years ago
No comparison to Ruffian, absolutely NONE reason Eight Belle wasn't 10 for 10 and was NEVER ahead in the race!
SPRAZ 3 years ago
The loss of Eight Bells today reminded me of Ruffian breaking down (I was 12 at the time)...and of course, here is that sad moment on YouTube. I concur with copdout...another sad day in racing today.
rberger22 3 years ago
I was 10 when Ruffian was laid to rest. Today, another beautiful filly, Eight Bells,loses her life. Another sad day in racing
copdout 3 years ago
who in this world knows? I hear people wishing undefeated champions should race against each other.
horses2ride 3 years ago
Ruffian was still a great horse. Even though she didn't win, there could of been a possible thought of her beating Foolish Pleasure. She could beat any horse, if she was given the chance. Breaking down may have stopped her, but that didn't stop her strength and speed.
horses2ride 3 years ago
Excellent points Theyseeus. As I've mentioned here before, I was distraught for weeks after Ruffian broke down. But I believe because of the way Ruffian's career ended, people think it is a fait accompli that she would have defeated Foolish Pleasure.
Foolish Pleasure worked 1/2 mile in :44 4/5 leading up to the Match Race. And he ran against tougher competition than Ruffian. He won the Derby, and also defeated the great Forego.
It is not inconceivable he might have beaten Ruffian too.
BCF3459 3 years ago
Most people think that Ruffian would have won NOT because of how the race ended, but because she was the BETTER horse. She was pulling away from him before she broke down.
Nickomas88 3 years ago
Let us all celebrate the life of the great Fox of Laurel-Frank Whiteley-who passed through the gates of heaven today to join his beautiful Ruffian.
Ruffian4Ever 3 years ago
I think Foolish Pleasure was an excellent horse, I'm not discounting that, but no one can discount that Ruffian was just as good, AND that she was leading him. Plus, she broke more records than he did, and she ran a mile in 1:35 2/5. I don't think Foolish Pleasure could do that.
theyseeus 3 years ago
most of them but even though i lov her i doubt anyone could beat Pharlap in a fair race... maybe not even seabiscuit
moondancer4life