Ruffian (April 17, 1972 – July 7, 1975) was an American
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...
racehorse
Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, 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 bas ...
who won ten consecutive races, including the
Acorn
The acorn is the nut (fruit), nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'', ''Notholithocarpus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains a seedling surrounded by two cotyledons (seedling leaves), en ...
,
Mother Goose
Mother Goose is a character that originated in children's fiction, as the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. She also appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as ...
and
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course i ...
, then known as the
American Triple Tiara. She was in the lead at every point of call in every race she ever ran and set new stakes records in each of the eight stakes races she won. Her dominating wins caused her to be named the
American Champion
American Champion Aircraft Corporation, is a manufacturer of general aviation aircraft headquartered at the Rochester, Wisconsin airport. Founded in 1988 on the acquisition of the Champ, Citabria, Scout, and Decathlon
The decathlon is a c ...
filly at both ages
two
2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and the only even prime number.
Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many ...
and
three
3 (three) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 2 and preceding 4, and is the smallest odd prime number and the only prime preceding a square number. It has religious and cultural significance in many societies ...
. In July 1975, she entered a highly anticipated
match race
A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.
In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams cons ...
with
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
winner
Foolish Pleasure
Foolish Pleasure (March 23, 1972 – November 17, 1994) was an American bay Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby.
Background
Foolish Pleasure was a bay horse bred at Williston, Florida by Waldemar Farms, Inc. He was owned by ...
, in which she broke down with two broken bones in her right foreleg. Surgery was attempted but Ruffian reacted poorly and exacerbated the injuries while coming out of
anesthesia
Anesthesia (American English) or anaesthesia (British English) is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prev ...
. As a result, she was
euthanized
Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
.
Ruffian was inducted into the
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...
in 1976. ''
The Blood-Horse
''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...
'' magazine ranked her as the top filly or mare of the twentieth century in their list of the
top 100 American racehorses of the 20th century, and number 35 overall. Her story was told in the 2007 film ''
Ruffian'' and numerous books.
Background
Ruffian was foaled on April 17, 1972, at
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...
near
Paris, Kentucky
Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky, and the county seat. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2020, it ha ...
. She was bred by Stuart S. Janney Jr. and
Barbara Phipps Janney, owners of Locust Hill Farm in
Glyndon, Maryland
Glyndon is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1871 by Dr. Charles A. Leas, the village is located in the northwest section of Baltimore County and is primarily a residential suburb of metropolita ...
. Janney, a cousin of prominent horseman
Ogden Mills Phipps
Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps (September 18, 1940 – April 6, 2016) was an American financier, Thoroughbred racehorse industry executive, and horse breeder. Widely known by the nickname "Dinny," he was chairman of the family's Bessemer Trust until r ...
, later became the chairman of the
Bessemer Trust
Bessemer Trust is a private, independent multi-family office that oversees more than $200 billion for over 3,000 families, foundations and endowments. Founded in 1907, the firm has its headquarters in New York City, with 19 regional offices elsew ...
. Ruffian was sired by
Reviewer
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indic ...
, a son of the
Phipps family
The Phipps family of the United States is a prominent American family that descends from Henry Phipps Jr. (1839–1930), a businessman and philanthropist. His father was an English shoemaker who immigrated in the early part of the 19th century ...
's great sire
Bold Ruler
Bold Ruler (April 6, 1954 – July 12, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame racehorse who was the 1957 American Horse of the Year, Horse of the Year. This following a three-year-old campaign t ...
, and out of the
Native Dancer
Native Dancer (March 27, 1950 – November 16, 1967), nicknamed the ''Gray Ghost'', was one of the most celebrated and accomplished Thoroughbred racehorses in American history and was the first horse made famous through the medium of television ...
mare
Shenanigans. She was trained by
Frank Y. Whiteley Jr.
Ruffian was a dark bay
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
...
, often described as black or near-black.
She stood high, then considered quite large for a filly. Sportswriter
Joe Hirsch
Joe Hirsch (February 27, 1928 – January 9, 2009) was an American horse racing columnist and the founding president of the National Turf Writers Association.
Biography
He earned a degree in journalism from New York University, then served w ...
called her the most imposing juvenile filly he'd ever seen.
William Nack
William Louis Nack (February 4, 1941 – April 13, 2018)[outside linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the lin ...]
." Ruffian used her early speed, size and strength to intimidate competition.
Racing career
Two-year-old season
Ruffian made her debut at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...
on May 22, 1974, in a -furlong
maiden special weight race, going off at odds of 4–1 in a field of ten. Breaking from post position nine, she went straight to the front while running the first quarter-mile in 22 seconds. She continued to open up her lead while rounding the turn, completing the half-mile in 45 seconds flat. She eventually won by 15 lengths and tied the track record in a time of 1:03 flat.
On June 12, Ruffian faced stiffer company in the -furlong
Fashion Stakes
The Fashion Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies. Raced on dirt over a distance of five furlongs, it was run annually from 1889 through 2005. Inaugurated at Morris Park Racecourse in Westchester County, New Yor ...
, including two other undefeated fillies, Copernica and Jan Verzel. Despite the step up in class, Ruffian went off as the 2-5 favorite based on her earlier win. She again went to the lead with an opening quarter of 22 seconds with Copernica lengths back. The margin remained the same through the half mile, run in 0:45, but Ruffian started to open up in the stretch. The final margin was lengths to Copernica, with Jan Verzel a further 13 lengths back in third. Ruffian equaled her own track record of 1:03.
Ruffian made her third start on July 10 at
Aqueduct Racetrack
Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...
in the
Astoria Stakes
The Astoria Stakes is a long-lived race for two-year-old Thoroughbred fillies run at Belmont Park in early June during the Belmont Stakes carnival. Originally set at a distance of five furlongs, beginning in the year 1940, the event was increase ...
over a distance of furlongs. Facing only three rivals, she went off as the 1-10 favorite with no show betting allowed. She established an early lead while running the first quarter in 0:21. Despite being eased in the final strides, she won by nine lengths in a time of 1:02, setting a new stakes record. She was just one-fifth of a second off the track record set by Raise A Native.
Her next start at
Monmouth Park
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease ...
on July 27 in the
Grade I
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
Sorority Stakes
The Sorority Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of September at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is contested on dirt over a distance of six furlongs.
...
would prove a greater challenge as she faced another top class filly called Hot n Nasty, who like Ruffian had already earned multiple stakes wins. Ruffian went off as the 3-10 favorite with Hot n Nasty at 2–1. Ruffian broke a step slow but soon took the early lead, setting a "brutally fast" pace of 0:21 for the first quarter and 0:44 for the half. Hot n Nasty stayed in touch though and actually got a head in front near the top of the stretch. For the first time, jockey
Jacinto Vásquez
Jacinto Vásquez (born January 4, 1944) is a retired Panamanian thoroughbred horse racing jockey. He rode two Kentucky Derby winners, Foolish Pleasure in 1975 and the filly Genuine Risk in 1980. He was also the regular jockey for the champion fill ...
hit Ruffian with the whip. Ruffian responded by inching back into the lead, then finally drew away to win in a stakes record time of 1:09 for six furlongs. Hot n Nasty was lengths back in second and the third place horse was 22 lengths behind.
The day after the race, Ruffian came down with a heavy cough. Vásquez also believed she had popped a splint in the race, which, although not a serious injury, was painful enough to take the edge off of most horses.
On August 23 at
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...
, Ruffian entered the
Spinaway Stakes
The Spinaway Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is a Grade I event contested at a distance of seven furlongs (1,408 metres) on dirt. Th ...
at a distance of six furlongs. Going off at odds of 1–5 in a field of four, she was never challenged in a gate-to-wire win of lengths. Her time of 1:08 broke the stakes record that had been set at Belmont Park in 1945 on the old Widener straight course.
Secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who was the ninth winn ...
's trainer,
Lucien Laurin
Lucien Laurin (March 18, 1912 – June 26, 2000) was a Canadian jockey and Hall of Fame Thoroughbred horse trainer. He was best known for training Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown in 1973.
Life and career
Laurin was born in Joliette, Quebe ...
, said, "As God is my judgment, this filly may be better than Secretariat!" Another trainer said that she could have won either division of that year's
Hopeful Stakes
The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...
, Saratoga's most prestigious race for colts, by twenty lengths. It was the fastest time ever run by a two-year-old, colt or filly, at Saratoga.
Ruffian was entered in the
Frizette Stakes on September 26 but was scratched on the day of the race due to a high temperature. Whitely then considered running her against colts in the
Champagne Stakes but she went off her feed and ran another fever. Veterinarian James Prendergast detected a hairline fracture of her right hind ankle, ruling her out for the rest of the year. Whiteley was later interviewed about the fracture and asked if it were true that it happened during the Spinaway. He answered, "It did happen during the race, she was just a couple of strides from the wire." When asked why he thought Ruffian had not shown any signs of being hurt until later, he replied, "She is a very tough filly, and doesn't like to show any weaknesses."
Ruffian missed the rest of the two-year-old season but her five wins were sufficient to earn her the
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse.
An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division. The trophy is made by a few small selected A ...
for
American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing
Horse racing is an equestrianism, equestrian performance activity, typically involving ...
.
Ruffian was also voted the 2-year-old "Horse of the Year" by ''Turf & Sport Digest'' as well as the 1974 "Filly 2 year old Champion"
eference: ''Turf & Sport Digest'' January 1975. Front Cover and full article page 24,25,26.
Three-year-old season
Ruffian started her three-year-old campaign on April 14 in a six-furlong allowance race at Aqueduct. Despite the long layoff, she was the prohibitive 1-10 favorite in a field of five. She took the lead after a few strides, then ran the opening quarter-mile in 23 seconds flat and the half in 0:45. She won by lengths in a time of 1:09
.
She followed up with a victory in the
Comely Stakes
The Comely Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York. Open to three year old fillies, it is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile. The Grade III event offers a purse of $200,000.
...
at Aqueduct on April 30, winning despite a poor start by lengths. Her time of 1:21 for 7 furlongs set a new stakes record and was just a second off
Dr. Fager's track record. Going off at odds of 1-20 (the legal minimum), she created a
minus pool of $36,064.
Ruffian was then targeted at the so-called
Triple Tiara, the filly equivalent of the
American Triple Crown. At the time, the series consisted of the
Acorn Stakes
The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile and a sixteenth with a current purse of $500,000. It is the first leg of the ...
,
Mother Goose Stakes
The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late October, the race currently offers a purse of $250,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mile and a s ...
and
Coaching Club American Oaks
The Coaching Club American Oaks is a race for thoroughbred three-year-old fillies and the second leg of the Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing. Originally run at Belmont Park, the Grade I $500,000 stakes race was moved to Saratoga Race Course i ...
.
In the Acorn Stakes on May 10 at Aqueduct, Ruffian was the 1-10 favorite. She was expected to face eight other fillies, but her two main rivals scratched before the race. Ruffian quickly went to the lead and won by lengths in a stakes record time of 1:34 for one mile. "What can you say?" asked Vásquez. "She's just great and runs so easy. She had no competition."
On May 31, Ruffian entered the Mother Goose Stakes at Aqueduct as the 1-10 favorite in a field of seven. The start was marred when the filly to Ruffian's right, Dan's Commander, threw her rider. Ruffian was not disturbed and took the lead, running the first quarter-mile in a relatively slow 0:24. Running at her own pace, she completed the half in 0:47 while leading by lengths then completed three-quarters in 1:11 with a two-length lead. Turning into the stretch, she started to draw away and eventually won by lengths while setting a new stakes record of 1:47 for nine furlongs. "I didn't do anything but ride", said Vásquez.
In the Coaching Club American Oaks on June 21 at Belmont Park, she was again made the 1-10 favorite despite racing for the first time at a distance of miles. She opened up a 6 length lead on the backstretch but the field closed on her during the far turn, getting as close as 1 length. In the stretch, Ruffian again pulled away to win by lengths over Equal Change, with the third place horse a further nine lengths back. Her time of 2:27 tied the stakes record.
Ruffian was undefeated in her first ten races, covering distances from to , with an average winning margin of 8
lengths. She set stakes records in each stakes race she entered.
Final race and death
Ruffian's eleventh race was run at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...
on July 6, 1975. It was a
match race
A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.
In sailboat racing it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams cons ...
between her and that year's
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...
winner,
Foolish Pleasure
Foolish Pleasure (March 23, 1972 – November 17, 1994) was an American bay Thoroughbred race horse who won the 1975 Kentucky Derby.
Background
Foolish Pleasure was a bay horse bred at Williston, Florida by Waldemar Farms, Inc. He was owned by ...
. Her connections had been asked about running her against colts since early in her career, and Whiteley thought that the
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Midsummer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds accor ...
at Saratoga in August would be a good opportunity. "Prove the point one time and that'll be it," he had said in May. "I don't want to put too much pressure on her."
However, Janney felt obligated to enter in the July match race due to media and public expectations. He told Whiteley that such a race was inevitable and it would be best to do so on her home track.
In the past, the horses had shared the same jockey: Jacinto Vásquez. Vásquez chose to ride Ruffian in the match race, believing her to be the better of the horses;
Braulio Baeza
Braulio Baeza (born March 26, 1940) is a Panamanian-American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. In 1963, he was the first Latin American jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.
Biography
Baeza began his racing career in 1955 in Panama at Hipodromo Ju ...
rode Foolish Pleasure. The "Great Match" was heavily anticipated and attended by more than 50,000 spectators, with an estimated television audience of 20 million.
As Ruffian left the
starting gate
A starting gate, also called a starting barrier or starting stalls, is a machine used to ensure a fair start to in horse racing and dog racing.
History
Throughout the history of horse racing, there have been proposals as to how better to star ...
, she hit her shoulder hard before straightening herself. The first quarter-mile (402 m) was run in 22 seconds, with Ruffian ahead by a nose. Little more than later, Ruffian was in front by half a length when she changed leads, followed by a crack audible to both jockeys. Both of the
sesamoid bone
In anatomy, a sesamoid bone () is a bone embedded within a tendon or a muscle. Its name is derived from the Greek word for 'sesame seed', indicating the small size of most sesamoids. Often, these bones form in response to strain, or can be presen ...
s in her right foreleg had snapped. Vasquez tried to pull her up, but the filly would not stop. She went on running, pulverizing her sesamoids, ripping the skin of her fetlock and tearing her ligaments until her hoof was flopping uselessly. Vasquez said it was impossible for him to stop her. She still tried to run and finish the race. Video showed Ruffian was startled by a bird in the infield and took a bad step.
Ruffian was immediately attended to by a team of four
veterinarian
A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...
s and an orthopedic surgeon, and underwent an emergency operation lasting twelve hours, during which she had to be revived twice after she stopped breathing.
When the
anesthesia
Anesthesia (American English) or anaesthesia (British English) is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical or veterinary purposes. It may include some or all of analgesia (relief from or prev ...
wore off after the surgery, she thrashed about wildly on the floor of a padded recovery stall as if still running in the race. Despite the efforts of numerous attendants, she began spinning in circles on the floor. As she flailed about with her legs, she repeatedly knocked the heavy plaster cast against her own elbow until the elbow, too, was smashed to bits. The vet who treated her said that her elbow was shattered and looked like a piece of ice after being smashed on the ground.
The cast slipped, and as it became dislodged it ripped open her foreleg all over again, undoing the surgery. The medical team, knowing that Ruffian would probably not survive more extensive surgery for the repair of her leg and elbow (much less the long period of stall rest required after surgery),
euthanized
Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
her shortly afterward at 2:25 a.m. on July 7.
"It was unfortunate we were in a learning period at the time", said her surgeon Dr. Edward Keefer in 2000. "Vets are really doing a hell of a job now and have improved tremendously in their knowledge and how to handle these catastrophic occurrences."
Burial
At around 9p.m. on July 7, 1975, after the day's races concluded at Belmont Park, Ruffian's remains were buried in a private ceremony in the infield. Her nose was pointed towards the finish line.
In August 2023 it was announced that Ruffian's remains were
exhumed from her grave at Belmont Park and reinterred in Marchmont Cemetery at
Claiborne Farm
Claiborne Farm is a thoroughbred horse breeding operation near Paris, Kentucky. It was established in 1910 by Arthur B. Hancock, owner of Ellerslie Stud in Albemarle County, Virginia, and has been operated by members of his family ever since. ...
in
Kentucky
Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
where she was born. The decision was made by Stuart Janney III (the son of Ruffian's owner) after consultation with the
New York Racing Association
The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) is the not-for-profit corporation that operates the three largest thoroughbred horse racing tracks in the state of New York (state), New York, United States: Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, Q ...
and Claiborne, as Ruffian's grave was located directly on the footprint of where Belmont was in the process of constructing a one-mile synthetic racetrack. Janney expressed hope that more members of the public would be able to pay their respects to Ruffian in her new resting place.
Racing statistics
An asterisk after the odds means Ruffian was the post-time favorite.
Aftermath
Ruffian's breakdown and death led to a public outcry for more humane treatment of racehorses. As it is natural for horses to thrash and kick when coming out of anesthesia, a "recovery pool" was developed so that they awaken suspended in warm water and don't re-injure themselves. Medications such as
corticosteroid
Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are invo ...
s for inflammation and pain management came into common use. However, while helping the horses in the short term, the increased use of medications at the track had a disadvantage, as many more horses were raced while injured. The average number of starts per year steadily declined, though this may also be attributable to economic factors.
Ruffian's breeding may be considered at least partly to blame for her broken leg; her sire,
Reviewer
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indic ...
, suffered three breakdowns in his racing career. After his fourth and last breakdown, which occurred while in his paddock, he had to be
euthanized
Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
after surgery.
Shenanigans, Ruffian's dam, was euthanized following intestinal surgery on May 21, 1977, when she broke two legs while recovering from anesthetic. Ruffian's damsire, Native Dancer, is considered by some to be the purveyor of "soft boned" genetics, primarily through his brilliant but unsound son
Raise a Native
Raise a Native (April 18, 1961 – July 28, 1988) was an undefeated Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse that was named 1963 champion two-year-old colt in the Turf and Sport Digest poll and was the highest rated juvenile in the Experimental Free ...
. Inbreeding to Raise a Native may have been a factor in the later breakdown of
Eight Belles
Eight Belles (February 23, 2005 – May 3, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who came second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby to the winner Big Brown. Her collapse just after the race resulted in immediate euthanasia.
Earlier in the year ...
.
Later research by
Susan Stover
Susan Marie Stover is a professor of veterinary anatomy at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and director of the J.D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory. One of the focuses of her wide-ranging research ...
showed that catastrophic breakdowns were most often preceded by smaller stress fractures,
though the fracture Ruffian experienced as a two-year-old was in a different leg. To help prevent similar tragedies, the industry has directed research into improved early detection, surgical techniques and rehabilitation methods.
Legacy
Ruffian posthumously earned the 1975
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Filly. In 1976, she was inducted into the
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred horse racing, Thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and Horse trainer, trainers. In 1955, the museum ...
. ''
The Blood-Horse
''The Blood-Horse'' (also referred to simply as ''Blood-Horse'' and displayed on its nameplate in upright all-capital letters without hyphenation as BLOODHORSE) is a news magazine that originated in 1916 as a monthly bulletin of the Thoroughbred ...
'' magazine ranked her 35th in its list of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century; she is the highest-rated filly (or mare) on the list. ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' included her as the only non-human on their list of the top 100 female athletes of the century, ranking her 53rd.
In the summer of 1975, folk singer
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
dedicated a version of the song "
Stewball" to Ruffian.
Since 1976, the
Ruffian Handicap
The Ruffian Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares ages four-years-old and older run over a distance of one mile on a dirt track scheduled annually in early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
Race history ...
has been run in Ruffian's honor. Until 2009, the race had been held at
Belmont Park
Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...
(on Long Island, New York), but it was moved upstate to
Saratoga Race Course
Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...
in 2010. In 2014, the Ruffian Handicap was moved back to Belmont Park.
The Ruffian Equine Medical Center, now known as
Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists, opened on May 26, 2009. It cost $18 million to build and is located outside Gate 8 of Belmont Park. The facility offers a wide range of services ranging from acute care for race related injuries to preventative care and farrier consultations.
Ruffian has many nicknames, such as "Queen of the Fillies", "Queen of the Century", "Queen of Racing", "Queen of the Track", "Filly of the Century", "The Super Filly", the "Black Terror" and more. Several books about her have been published, including ''Ruffian, Burning from the Start'', ''Ruffian, A Racetrack Romance'', ''Ruffian: Horse Racing's Black Beauty'', and ''The Licorice Daughter, My Year with Ruffian''.
In Lexington, Kentucky, the road into the Masterson Station Park is named "Ruffian Way" and a monument in her honor can be found inside the park. It reads, "This memorial erected in memory of Ruffian, dark bay thoroughbred filly. We were young when she died, too young to remember her with the greats of other eras. Yet to love grace and perfection is ours because we are human and none felt her loss more painfully than we. The Children of Lexington – 1975"
In Japan, the horse owner club is named after the horse, as the founder, , is said to have met the horse when he was training in the United States.
Pedigree
Ruffian was by Reviewer, a talented racehorse who was injured in each of the three seasons he raced. In a short career at stud, he sired two outstanding fillies, Ruffian and
Revidere
Revidere (foaled in 1973 in Kentucky) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse that was voted the 1976 Eclipse Award as the American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.Her sire was Reviewer, who is best known as the sire of champion filly Ruffian. Her d ...
, but failed to sire a son capable of continuing his line.
Ruffian's dam Shenanigans earned three wins in 22 starts for the Janneys, then became an outstanding broodmare. In addition to Ruffian, Shenanigans produced graded stakes winner and important sire
Icecapade, the talented filly Laughter, who went on to become a producer of several stakes winners, and Buckfinder, another stakes winner and good sire. Shenanigans was named the 1975
Kentucky Broodmare of the Year
The Kentucky Broodmare of the Year is selected each year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The title is considered the highest honor an American thoroughbred broodmare can receive, as the majority of American breeding s ...
.
See also
*
List of leading Thoroughbred racehorses
*
List of racehorses
This list includes racehorses that exist in the historical record.
Racehorses
For competition horses, such as show jumping, show jumpers and dressage, dressage horses, see .
A
* Ace Impact: Undefeated winner of the 2023 Prix de l'Arc de Tri ...
References
Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruffian (Horse)
1972 racehorse births
1975 racehorse deaths
Horses who died from racing injuries
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Horse racing track record setters
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing winners
Eclipse Award winners
United States Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame inductees
Phipps family
Thoroughbred family 8-c