Ruffian

[migreen]

For those who are into anniversaries, today is the thirtieth anniversary of the match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure, at Belmont, which ended tragically with Ruffian's breakdown and death. The story was touched on by Frank Deford in a recent commentary on NPR, and Ruffian's career is the subject of a great book by Jane Schwartz "Ruffian: Burning from the Start".

[46zilzal]

For those who are into anniversaries, today is the thirtieth anniversary of the match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure, at Belmont,
past performances were amazing. FIRST at every call, every race

[gillenr]

From "Thoroughbred Champions" site.
http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/ruffian1.htm

[freeneasy]

complete 'standalone'

[CryingForTheHorses]

I remember being a kid on the backside when this horrible thing happened to Ruffian,Poor Frank Whitley was never the same after that,He seemed to lose intrest in training his horses and a few yers later retired to his farm in Camden SC.

[betovernetcapper]

"We threw a fast quarter at the bitch and she broke down"
Leroy Jolley's father

[Tom]

Horrible scene....made a lasting impact on me. Worst memory I had until Go For Wand.

Have no use whatsoever for match races anymore.

[Wiley]

"We threw a fast quarter at the bitch and she broke down"
Leroy Jolley
I remember it as "See what happens when you throw a fast quarter at the b..... she comes apart" and it was Jolley's father who made the despicable statement though I cannot remember where I read this at. The worst day for racing in my lifetime. The irony is Jolley trained Genuine Risk just a few years later.

[betovernetcapper]

I first heard the quote in an Andy Beyer book-been looking to track it down

[KingChas]

Now that was a great racehorse.11 races-8 equalled or set stakes records.Not the paper ponies of today who are judged on greatness by their subjective paper numbers. ;) She did it on the dirt not on the paper.

[Doc]

Hard to believe that 30 years have past since I was at Belmont that tragic day. I remember being down in the paddock trying to get a glimpse of Ruffian, but I could only see the top of her head as she went past because it was so crowded. It was an overcast, muggy afternoon, as I recall...after she broke down I left there stunned, in a daze. I was so upset and still, to this day, I feel cheated that we'll never know who won that match race,

Doc :(

[Bobby]

I wuz a Delta Downs one evening and the horses were coming for home. And of course at delta not too many people there, so I wuz sitting in the pavillon with a clear view and this maiden filly just stopped. Ankle literally fell off. ABSOLUTELY AWFUL. It left such a lasting impression on me that for about 6 mos whenever I Watched a race in person or on TV I just cringed, thinking a horse wuz gonna break down. I've never been back to delta either - its really Lost In The Fog down there!

It took ambulance about 5 minutes to get out. They bring the black tarp, put her down right there in front of everyone, and put her in the trailer.

Of course, no comparison to the great Ruffian. Just the horrible feeling is the only comparison. Can someone tell me about Go 4 Wand?

[ryesteve]

Can someone tell me about Go 4 Wand?

http://www.eclipsepress.com/legends/B11-2004.html
http://www.thoroughbredchampions.com/biographies/goforwand.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/classical0/goforwand.html

[migreen]

Another link, a long epic-style poem about Go For Wand, but with references to Ruffian and many other greats:

http://www.brookhousepress.ca/wand/wand95.htm

[Bobby]

Steve, that last link that shows her breaking down is like how it wuz at Delta. The horse running around and ankle might as well have fallen off. Worst memory I have of racing.

[JustRalph]

You guys really know to brighten a guys day.........absolutely awful........

[sgv]

Wiley is correct in that it was Jollys father who made the comment. If memory serves me right the quote was " The first time the bitch gets some real speed thrown at her she comes unbuckled". He made the comment to the press in the winners circle with Foolish Pleasure standing there and Ruffian in the process of being taken off the track. A real class guy he must have been.

[toetoe]

Correct, fellas. Betover, PLEASE don't attribute "Happy" Jolley's words to son Leroy. He had to live with the sumb*&ch, and was embarrassed more than once, I'm sure.

[mkbdoe]

New to racing and never really understood what it meant for a horse to breakdown...I just looked at the pics of Go For Wand and got a little choked up....That is just terrible...


I have a question though, and maybe you guys can clear this up for me...Why do they need to kill the horse when this occurs? Is what happened to Go For Wand really a justifiable means to euthinize? It just seems that the horse could still live? :confused:

[46zilzal]

I have a question though, and maybe you guys can clear this up for me...Why do they need to kill the horse when this occurs? Is what happened to Go For Wand really a justifiable means to euthinize? It just seems that the horse could still live? :confused:
Horses cannot stay prone for long. It is very very difficult to stabilize a comminuted fracture (multiple pieces) that is contaminated by the dirt of the race course wihtout stabilizing it with pins and extraneous hardware that a horse could not stand without trying to "buck" it off. The great Nijinsky was put in a body sling to keep weight off a fracture and that alone almost killed him.

there has been some progress in prosthetic limb work but the animal has to be of the correct (quiet) temperment to be able to very quiet.

[betovernetcapper]

I'm going to conceed that the remark was made by Happy and not his son.

[RXB]

The great Nijinsky was put in a body sling to keep weight off a fracture and that alone almost killed him.

Nijinsky?

I think it was Nureyev.

[46zilzal]

Nijinsky?

I think it was Nureyev.
you are correct...getting my afflictions mixed up. I visited Nijinsky after he had a significant outbreak of thrush with secondary infection that almost cost him a rear leg....the names are close, hence the mixup.

[Buckeye]

I was there.

I have black and white pictures of both in the paddock and a $2 win ticket on her.

Good thing she couldn't hear what Jolley said, because she would have kicked him in the teeth.