Ruffian fractured her sesamoids coming out of the gate when she jammed her right ankle into the ground and pushed off all her weight onto it leaving the gate. You can see it in the slow motion replay. She ran for a quarter mile on a fractured sesamoid until it shattered. Had she not fractured her sesamoids, she would not have broke down. Foolish Pleasure kept her from falling down. She leaned all her weight into him trying to stay upright and not fall down. She didn’t try to keep running... she was trying to come to a stop on three legs without falling. She didn’t want to fall. She had dignity and used all her strength to stay on her remaining three legs. She refused to go down. The vet was no help with that ridiculous air cast that did nothing, then walking her up a trailer ramp with no hydraulic lift or assistance for her. Her end was an absolute horror for her as she was kept alive for several more hours in a half assed attempt to save her. The vet who saved the great, Hoist the Flag, was not around to save Ruffian. They never should have put her in a match race. They should have waited until the end of August and run her up at Saratoga in the Travers. That would have given her over a months rest to go against the boys, instead they chose to throw her into a quarter horse race....ridiculous. RIP Ruffy.
I am glad you pointed out the schedule. All we hear today is that the Triple Crown is too hard. Well, this was another Derby-length race only three weeks after the Belmont. And as an all out sprint.
Spoken like a TRUE and caring horseman. Explained perfectly. Sadly we lost a near perfect specimen way too soon. She would have embarrassed Foolish Pleasure. Thank you
Muito bem explicado amigo ,sou Brasileiro e sou fan de Ruffian e Secretariat,para mim foi a maior egua de corridas de todos os tempos ,infelizmente a ganancia de seus donos ,e a batida no portão ,acabou com a carreira dela ,mas ela jamais será esquecida enquanto existir esse mundo
Strange Fact. Almost 15yrs after Ruffian broke down, another great filly named Go For Wand broke down on the same track, during what you could call a match race, while she passed the flag pole by which Ruffian is buried.
I was watching that breeders cup distaff I believe it was. Go for wand breakdown was alot more violent. Very sad to see a horse breakdown and jockey thrown
@@nycitylifeandhistory- It started against the field but evolved into a match race. She and Bayakoa were head-and-head before the half and multiple lengths ahead before the 3/4ths.
One of the reasons Zenyatta raced so long , was she started racing much later then normal. Her bones were grown and hardened. But we are so impatient and Greedy. We ride them real young. And race them way too young. I raised horses. I didn’t even back them til they were 2 and a half. Riding gently at 3.
JeanKennet: Clever Cowgirl does this too: CC rehabs horses very slow, she does not race them, and is remarkably astute about their needs, physical and emotional.
Studies have shown that horses who started at 2 are less likely to suffer serious injuries. People need to stop the "stop racing horses so young" narrative.
A friend of the owner who was there is interviewed at the end of this short video. She shattered both sesamoid bones in right ankle and continued to run!!! The wound filled with dirt. Sad. th-cam.com/video/YnZFnCvKspw/w-d-xo.html
The #1 issue was she, along with all race horse's, was she was ridden before her bones, ligaments, and tendons had even developed. That is what does horse's in. If she had been given the proper time to develop, five years of age, she would most likely have lived a long life.
My aunt’s horse was being trained as a race horse before she got him. I can’t remember exactly what made them sell him but it was either something wrong with his shoulder or leg due to them not letting him develop before training. I believe he was 2 maybe 3 when she got him. He is now showing English style shows in jumping and happy with what he does. I wish that was the case for other horses.
@Maxie Waxie it's sad. They just need time to mature. Not get them running as soon as possible. They're an investment, not a pay day. I'm super happy to hear about your aunts former horse! Glad the ending turned out great🩷
This is false information. Age doesn’t make a horse strong, gradual increase to workload does. Ruffian was a very unsound horse, trained conventionally, and that was what killed her. I highly suggest you read the book about her. She had many issues. It has nothing to do with her age. There’s research available that demonstrates starting light exercise (gallops) before the growth plates close increases the strength of bone. The younger the horse the better their body adapts and strengthens.
I remember this like yesterday. I was a young, horse-crazy girl and this broke my heart. I had a model horse of Ruffian - or maybe one that I just named ruffian. Tragic
When Mr. Tesio started to breed horses he obtain Cavaliere D'Arpino, that ultimately was his favourite horse, very fast but also very fragile. His descendants were more reliable (like Ribot), but ultimately the more sturdy and balanced Nearco became the starting point of the modern thoroughbred
Nearco was an amazing TB. My old TB had him twice in his pedigree. My horse never raced---he was used as a hunter/jumper, 18.2 hands tall. Died in 2007 from colic at age 34. (Jan Griffiths).
What about the surface change from the chute to the main track? Jane Schwartz, who wrote "Ruffian: Burning From The Start," pointed this out. However, it was decided (per the book) that the horses started from post position 3 and 4 instead of 1 and 2, as it would not give either horse a bigger advantage as far as the track bogging the inside horse (Ruffian) down. Schwartz also pointed out that Ruffian was taller, heavier, and broader and, in general, bigger than FP. The only thing that was smaller was her shoe size. I truly believe she would've beat the colt, as she was pulling away with each stride, once she got comfortable (per her jockey, Jacinto Valasquez). Schwartz did a fantastic job with her research, and she was able to talk to everyone in Ruffian's "inner circle," with the exception of Dan Williams, who died in 1977. If you haven't read Jane Schwartz's book, it goes into much more detail.
Very introspective piece that really delves into the mystery and tragedy of the beautiful soul that was Ruffian, great job, I really hope you do more like this in the future, even if as inferences and personal theories. I wish you all the best, It's great to see a proper Racing TH-cam channel pop up that's informative but blatantly honest, as a full time Trackwork Rider in racing thank you!
I gotta thank you back as well for such a kind comment its what I look forward to the most when I make a horse racing video. Everything you said here is basically my goal everytime I make a racing vid like this. To be transparant but honest. I sure hope being an Trackword Rider is a fun job for you although it also sounds hard. If you want more content like this I did recently publish a video called "Mysterious Racehorse Deaths" that talks about similarly fallen horses like Shergar,Alydar, and Medine Spirit with hopefully a similar sense of blatent honesty as here. th-cam.com/video/60KgkbzgjFk/w-d-xo.html. Good luck on your riding!
How about the fact that they breed TBs w/ lighter bones for more speed coupled with them being ridden before they're even 2 yrs old? If they waited til the joints were developed & bones strengthened less of this would happen...
This is True, but there isn't anything people can do if they wanna race horses because most races require under 5 years of age, and ages 5-7 is when they are fully developed.
It was about Ruffian’s bloodline and bedigree. Her dam’s sire Native Damcer had really soft bones and was in bred horse. Her sire also had the same problem same as her sire’s sire Bold Ruler. He got many injuries in his career. It was just clearly bad genes
@@tyyppip5984 It is more than that. The TB is slowly being ruined by inbreeding, by not breeding enough for a solid and even temperament, by having tiny little stick legs that are too small to support the upper body. It is also in some cases getting more difficult for them to perform in other disciplines, or at least I predict it will get to that point. A good jumping horse needs to have steady legs, strong ones that can handle the impact. The biggest breeders of the TB breed are those that breed for the racetrack. Many live very sad and brutal lives that have no regard for them as individuals: some individuals may have the right pedigree, but just don't want to run. They wind up at slaughter just a little too often, if you ask me. Culling the more gentle natured or the less inclined to be running machines is not good as it means only the speed machines get to go on to reproduce. Multiply that by generations, and problems crop up. The TB used to be revered for its courage. I wouldn't call it a brave horse breed at all these days, but one with no brakes. They'd be a poor choice for an infantry horse these days. They will run their hearts out for you, true, but if they spook, it is in my experience harder to calm them down. It is why I advocate reopening the studbook a bit. They will get slower as a breed at first, but they won't hurt themselves as much. PS-Bold Ruler was more accident prone than anything else, usually because he was a bit of a big brown goofy thing. His most famous son had the same trait as a colt: Big Red used to walk right into barn doors. A few of Secretariat's daughters also inherited the clumsy gangly legs both Papa and Grandpa gave them; the same habit of getting injured was tied to having very long legs and a short body, like a spider. The same trait made them fly down the track. Poor Ruffian got her ability to fly from Bold Ruler, but her bad legs from Dancer and Shenanigans.
That filly was bred to break down. The Polynesian bloodline is notorious for fragility. Walter Farley said it best, 9 years before she was foaled: She comes equipped with fragile legs. Gets it from her sire, Polynesian, just as she does her speed. If it didn't happen now, it would've later.
@@christineheminger7762 - yes, that was actually the entire point of the quote. The modern-day Thoroughbred has sacrificed soundness in order to chase speed, and we see it in Ruffian, we see it in Go for Wand, we see it in Eight Belles, we see it in George Washington, we see it in Pine Island, we see it in Union City, we see it in Barbaro, and indeed the vast majority of other notable, catastrophic breakdowns, particularly tracing to Polynesian through Raise a Native.
@@sheltiesong I guess my point was that I don’t understand why, with all the greats that didn’t have Polynesian blood, have they chosen to have this blood in many branches of the pedigree instead of Man O’ War, Citation, Whirlaway, Swaps,Gallant Fox, Omaha, Count Fleet, Secretariat? If speed in a great race horse was the goal, there are many to choose from; I don’t understand why it’s all been narrowed down to this line. If you asked most people with a bit of knowledge who aren’t in the racing world to name a great race horse I don’t think anyone would name Polynesian or even Native Dancer. It usually breaks down to MOW or Sec
What nonsense. Her sire was not Polynesian, it was Reviewer. In fact, Polynesian doesn't appear in her pedigree until the third generation of her female line.
@@whipsaw - You would think that me mentioning the quote was from a book written 9 years before Ruffian was foaled would have clued you in that the filly the quote was about wasn't Ruffian. Rather, it was a commentary on the fragility passed down through the Polynesian bloodline, of which Ruffian is a part.
Ruffian’s trainer had a disagreement with the owners just days before the match Race he felt she was not ready to race against foolish pleasure but the owners went ahead anyway entered her in the race anyways
@@DanielSong39 He was pretty amazing that day, and those were really tough horses in that race. He might’ve even beaten Secretariat that day, finishing the 1-1/4 miles in 158.3 at age 3. The internal fractions were super fast.
It also has to do with the fact that they start running these horses way to early and their joints and bones are not strong enough to handle the pressure I don't care what hate people send cause it is the truth
@@K2mtp They gave them steroids and dopped them up to not show signs of injury or pain a practice that is still used today not that anyone will state the truth also people have been killed to keep them from telling the truth so anytime you bet on a horse race you are helping them out
If you never read the book Ruffian: Burning From the Start you should. Very good post, but I believe you left one other factor. It was a Match Race. Match races used to be much more common, but until this race had faded away, for good reason. Many people felt they really didn't prove very much and were detrimental to the participants. Plenty of opportunities existed for Ruffian to race against colts. There was no need for this race, and as you mentioned tossing her into her first race against a horse who was tougher than she'd ever faced was not smart. Would just like to mention one other thing. Both the movie and book edited out the total cluster that took place after she was injured. Don't know if it would have saved her, but it certainly didn't help.
i think a lot of people don't understand how much genetics affect soundness. i'm currently looking into an OTTB as my next horse and found one that would have been perfect, a gelding, my prefered height and color (Black) located nearby, heck he was even $500 less than we were expecting to spend, but then i looked at his pedigree. native dancer was on both sides of his lineage multiple times. yeah that took him out of the running real fast. when i told my family this they were like "But he's perfect for you..." yeah it took me an hour to explain why having a horse inbred multiple times to a infamous soft boned sire was a bad idea.
If you research pedigrees of most of the horses running today, you'll find most linebred to Native Dancer. That's not a huge factor. What exacerbated the whole problem was the fact that they ride those horses when they're not even 2 years old. If she had not been ridden til she was 4, this likely wouldn't have happened...
@@cindyrissal3628 actually most modern breakdowns happen in horses 4 and older according to the jockey club injury database. All injuries have to be reported to the jockey club. Sadly native dancer is a notoriously bad blood line for sadness that isn't going away as it is in every modern North American thoroughbred. Yes I have actually spent the last four years of my life researching tb bloodlines as well as the history of the sport in the United States.
She took a bad step that’s all it’s that simple … if she did that at the gate never would she have gone 22 the first quarter. No way bad step ….. best filly hands down .
"....a glass cannon waiting to break." #1) unsound due to humans ego #2) pushed @ a young age due to humans ego #3) "match race" due to humans ego Patterns are obvious. Since her pedigree was known, Ruffian, like hundreds of thousands of horses are forced into unnatural behavior so humans can win money, notoriety, social standing, receive invitations to cocktail parties, etc. Prayers to all the horses forced to race like this and to all horses abused, neglected, and sent to slaughter, including race horses and mares, whom humans view as disposable now that their "function" is over. The real issue is us and we know it.
This was the era of "women's lib" issues and stupid man/woman challenges. This race was pure ego and hype on the owners part. But this isn't the first time there was a needless ugly race blown up with hype where horses were condemned to die. I liken this to gladiatorial combat to the death in Rome. Thrills for the crowd hungry for blood. Cash for the owners. And commentators back then saying Ruffian breaking down "proved" fillies couldn't cut running with the boys. I thought you did a fair and balanced job. It also shows how little sexism influences people today. Her blood lines meant more in the race than her gender. It took almost 50 years but I appreciate that some one finally said it.
Your points are good. Also they could have wrapped all 4 legs, that might have been enough to make it he injury a bit less traumatic, and waiting to the end of the year before her next race, or even better until she turned 4 years old. Another problem was the medications and how the vets woke horses up after surgery all played a part. Just look at how horses are woke up now, in a raft in water, Just very sad. She could have had many foals, many of the stallions then had better leg bones, out crossing with those stallions could have strengthen her fragile bones. But we will never know,
I remember watching this race. It broke my heart for more than one reason. My first love in thoroughbreds was Foolish Pleasure. He was my first pick to win a race in my young life, & he won. It did not hurt that I was an East Tennessean like his owner. I followed him religiously from then on. I wanted him to win this race despite my being a girl because I loved him & still do. He forever is overshadowed by Ruffian due to that terrible incident. She was a wonderful filly. I cried over her death. Foolish Pleasure will always be my favorite horse & I still cry when I see that match race for two reasons.
My own opinion is that someday soon they are going to have to reopen the studbook for the Thoroughbred horse since the inbreeding coefficient just keeps getting worse and that mean less and less sound horses, mentally and physically. I otherwise believe that too much emphasis is put on their running and not enough attention is being paid to the fact that they have teeny tiny hooves and toothpick legs as a breed, yet also have a huge body on top. They will be completely unsuitable as a jumper in the next hundred years because the laws of physics are against them. Constant inbreeding will eventually ruin the Thoroughbred, and there will be many more Ruffians to come. (There has already been a Storm Cat, and for the record, that horse was NUTZ. Very different temperament to his uber famous granddad, the Great Red One, who though no angel would not bite your head off or rage in his stall. Nobody is ever going to convince me that horse didn't have psychological issues, nor that he didn't inherit them from an unsound of mind ancestor.) PS-A short list of candidates to add their DNA to a reopened studbook could include the Standardbred (very sound legs and nice big hooves) Akhal Teke, Welsh Cob (closest thing to Irish Hobby, one of the types the English originally bred the Byerly Turk, Gondolphin Arabian, and Darley Arabian to) Quarter Horse (still used as a racing horse and has a more steady as she goes temperament in general) Arabian (obvious choice) Cleveland Bay, and Akhal Teke.
I have long thought that they should introduce some new Arabian blood into thoroughbreds. Arabians have stronger bone, equal speed and more stamina. We lose a lot of tbs in racing in the uk and I have thought about either a solution or at least an easing of the number of fatalities.
@@janedwards5292 I have thought of the Arabians, too, since that would be a nice addition that already is a piece of the original foundation stock. The only drawback there is size. They aren't a terribly large horse and they have a shorter stride. Go watch some Triple Crown winners and you realize they run like a greyhound. BIIIG stride. Secretariat pretty much flew like Superman: His stride was so big that when all four hooves were off the ground, he looked like he was flying. That was 50 years ago, mind. I am not saying that Arabian horses should not be part of the plan of reopening the studbook, but more like they should not be the only ones. Add them to the list, but I am looking at more mixing than that because that inbreeding coefficient is getting higher and higher. It is getting to be madness. The Standardbred has great hooves, very good size indeed and the leg is more substantial, less like a toothpick. They have much more bone and are comparable in size to the current TB, but with a bigger butt. (Good padding, if you ask me, very good protection provided by muscle down to the knees the current TB does not have. ) It already does share some older ancestry with the TB, but has a more-happy-go-lucky-temperament. With a little practice they can become decent hunters, too. Just because they have a gait does not mean they are born without the ability to gallop. Ohhh, they can gallop alright. At this point, some TB's are scared of the sound of their own farts, Jan. Think about it: a horse that jumps and has a near heart attack every time it poots. Not good. I doubt it was like that in the beginning or they would have never made it. A lot of the stability and hardiness that would have been in the little ponies and Hobby mares in England at one time are no longer enough to hold the TB. They have lost that balance of calm when calm is called for. Mixing in a Standie would do that and correct some big confirmation problems. Even adding some QH blood would correct the fart fearful: they usually are very sweet in nature and don't spook easily. In fact, that the QH is a natural sprinter that has been clocked at up to about 56 mph also would help. (Imagine a horse who can go that fast but then will behave like an overgrown beagle at the sight of the flowers being laid on his back: "Mommy! Mommy! Look-they put in little roses! JUNK FOOOOOD, JUST FOR MEEEEE!!" [Butt starts to wiggle and tail starts swishing with hope that he will be allowed some for lunch.) My own opinion on the racetrack in the UK has to do with hurdle events-too many horses on the field of play, no more than ten should compete!! Again, madness! Someday there will be no survivors.
I would like to keep in touch with you if only to find out what else you come up with. You mention breeds that I didn't consider. Some of the desert need Arabian are quite big and do have a longer stride. The best Crabbett ones were from the desert.
@UC4px39nhs5-3z82GSfvOYYg I am not, I am more of a casual observer and horse geek; you would probably know more than I do on some things, Jan. Besides, as far as I am aware, the main studbook, the mother book, is in England. (I am writing this from Massachusetts, USA.) That is where the records going back to the Byerly Turk would be. The UK is the Thoroughbred's home. What was begun at the end of the 17th century should by rights be repaired in the 21st in the UK; America was an early adopter (first TB would have arrived by the 1730s) but we don't have the right to reopen the studbook willy nilly like that. (We will raise our hand to volunteer if asked, but that is as far as it goes: nobody likes the arrogant twerp who gets up and swaggers, then tries to shave Pegasus's wings if he was not the true creator of Pegasus!) Look, more seriously, I just call it like I see it. Too many TB horses die unnecessarily and too many are being overbred. Some practices of the racehorse world have GOT to be stopped for good. It is a living creature. You own it, you care for it all the days of its life whether it makes you so much as a cent or not. And every horse is good for something: privately I am in the minority, but I think it is feasible that, some day soon, prostheses for horses is an answer to laminitis. The horse wants to LIVE, fellas. It is a matter of getting the tech right. No horse in the modern age should have to be shot for a broken leg. Since he cannot hobble around on a cane, this is the next best thing and it should be pursued.
@@janedwards5292 As for the TB, well, I have seen TBs be put to work, believe it or not, on the ranch. Nobody thought at first they would last a minute: this is NOT the breed you want to face off against the bull because it WILL freak out. Like I said, too easily scared. Wrong discipline. But that speed works well in a roundup, it turns out. Anybody who tells you that a TB cannot be retrained for Western equitation is lying-they can, they have. They will not quit. They will run for as long as the man on their back tells them to or die trying. (Cousin of mine says it is like riding a rocket-cows do NOT like being chased by the fastest endurance horse on earth and probably think they have found their own private hell with the fastest sprinter and the fastest endurance runner working together, one in the pen, the other on the range.) My thinking is that with some crossbreeding, they won't go lame as easily-on the range, that is their big weakness, the delicate legs. Just like the racetrack. For the kind of running they are doing, they need more bone and bigger hooves and a bigger gene pool to draw from. And the cherry on top is that they will be nigh unstoppable. They won't freak out as bad and that means less advanced owners can take them, too, without worrying if the horse will go bonkers at the most faint sound.
Thank you for such a thorough review of the situation. I'd read about the pedigree issues on the internet, and I'm really glad you touched base on that. We can't overlook the fact that Ruffian's DNA called for her being prone to breaking down. Someone, below, also noted that the trainer tried to dissuade the owners from racing her against the horse, saying that Ruffian was not ready. So, it sounds as if lots was going on, and perhaps the bad breaking out of the gate was the point that sealed the fate. Regardless, no matter what happened to contribute to Ruffian's breakdown, how sad. I hope that future rules call for more strict laws around horse racing and required fitness/ horse build/ soundness laws so that we stop indirectly killing horses. They can't speak for themselves.
Barbaro ... they false started and had to restart ... he was messed up in that start plus they are just running them as babies ... terrible and sad!!! I was late to a wedding because I was watching Barbaro break his leg and then sobbed my way all the way to the wedding. All I could see thru all of it was his broken leg flopping around after he came out of the starting gate the final time.😢
I read that she had cracked a bone in her leg once before. They let her heal and they put her back into the races again. They should've retired her after that. Yes, she had a bad pedigree. They don't take soundness into account when they breed these horses and they run them too young. The larger the animal, the longer it takes them to mature. All they are worried about is the almighty dollar and the horses pay the price.
That horse had and issue with that same front leg that broke off go and rewatch the movie and see the trainer deal with it in the stall even the jockey noticed she was changing her leads even before the match race
I had to look down during your video, I couldn't watch. I watched this match race "live" on television and didn't want to see her break down again. I do recall from reading the newspaper and magazine accounts that Leroy Jolley schooled Foolish Pleasure to get him to leave the gate faster, and stay with Ruffian. But the trainer of Ruffian said he was relying on her natural speed. I still watch racing replays, but not this one.
I can’t believe you completely overlooked Ruffian’s own soundness issues. Ruffian did not break down because her father or grandfather did. She broke down because she was unsound. There are way too many factors that we know today about what contributes to poor soundness to boil it down to “well her dad and granddad weren’t sound.” The reason why we have so many unsound horses is because horse trainers don’t know the first thing about exercise science and bone remodeling, PERIOD.
Agree that her pedigree as concerns soundness is horrid. One thing that people never bring up, at least that I've heard, is that Ruffian had an egg beater gate with the right front leg. Watch some of her races when they show a head on shot. I firmly believe that this gate contributed to her break down as much as anything.
Not necessarily. Seabiscuit way back in the 1930s had a really weird gait. His legs were flying out in all directions. He did injure his leg, but that was after a very different kind of accident where he pretty much tripped. His legs were otherwise fine; he raced a lot more than Ruffian did and it is more interesting that he didn't get injured MORE than he actually did; he also made a full recovery after his whoops-a-daisies on the track and in retirement showed no signs of lameness at all. Having an off kilter gait is not enough.
Ruffian was royally bred. Northern dancer is one of the most prolific sires of all time. and she was also a half-sister to Grade 1 winning ice Capade and to laughter who was the dam of private terms who won the Wood Memorial.
Royally bred to break down. Both of her parents have broken legs. The reason she was so fast was because her bones were so light and fragile. She was simply carrying less weight than her competitors.
Ruffian, like Alydar and Genuine Risk were gateshotters, they can get hurt as they excite out of the gatebto race without any tapping. Roadrunner style
A few things first. Ruffian did not need competición. Her only competición Was the clock She either equal and or brole the Stakes or Track record Just about every time she race. Starting With her Maiden race. And had she not broke down. She probably Woud had done again.
While i agree with all your points, their is a key factor besides the bad start that killed her.. had she not had the bad start its very likely she would've been ok. And most likely even won the race.. but the major thing that most people don't bring up is.. This was a match race. The goal of these races was push for the lead and hold it. Turning what should be a normal race, into a insane speed duel, that is not a simple mile race, that sprinters would run.. they expected these distance runners to sprint for mile and a half? In some of these races before ruffians time, they even started whipping before the halfway pole, simply to make them take the lead. Secretariat is the only horse in history, to come even close to sprinting the Belmont, and that was of his own choice, not ronnie hitting him or even making him run. This race pretty much was the nail in the coffin for match races because it showed just how cruel and abusive match races were.
I was at Belmont the day before the race. They set 2 track records that day and also had to euthanize 2 horses. It was clear that they made the track especially hard in preparation for the match race. That is what killed Ruffian.
Her legs weren't in a good condition for the race at that day. Trainer new that. That race was too much for her legs. And that movie gives us a hint about that - Ruffian's legs.
Hablar cual el mejor caballo pregúntele al entrenador de Secretaria todos dicen que Secretaria fue el mejor Pero el entrenador de Secretaria dice que Fue Rufián saludos desde Venezuela ❤
The birds up ahead on the track caused a brief hesitation in her gallop …. this is exactly what happened. Ruffian is buried at the Belmont finish line facing nose first.
Has no one ever thought about the fact that when you bang a shoulder that at some point you will suffer a twinge that will result in a moment of pain. It's only my opinion but I feel that that twinge may have caused the misstep. Also she was in the lead when it happened. In all fairness when she hit the gate the race should have been stopped. Money and vanity led to the death of a good horse . 😢
The reason this sweet girl had to die is that she was only three years old and racing her heart out. A horses legs do not knit until they are 5 years old. I repeat, 5 years old. If she was three years old and racing, that means they were on her back at least at two years old. These horses are breaking down on the track all the time and it’s always their front legs. Greed puts them on the track at 2 and 3 years old. The ones that have not broken down are very lucky. I was raised on thoroughbred horse racing. I love these horses so much starting with Man O’ War. I see footage or a photo of Secretariat and I melt. I’m so lucky I got to see him race at Santa Anita back in the day. He was spectacular never seen another horse that can compare. The last time I was at the track a two year old filly snapped both of her legs right in front of me as she was racing for the finish line. This was several years ago and I’m still traumatized over it. I’ve studied some European standards for racing and it’s quite an eye-opener. They have a certain respect.
It broke my Seeing the movie, it broke my heart. I love horses, Ruffin is my favorite racehorse I love race horses, and just broke my heart😭😭😭😭😭🪦🪦 Rest in peace Ruffin
I don’t think horses should race until they are at least 4 years old. I don’t care who argues or makes nasty comments. Horses should not race until they are physically ready.
Agreed. This is why many horse people say racing is abuse. They "start" these foals as yearlings and have them racing by the time they're 2- whether they actually are 2 years old or not. I don't know how they do it now, but in the 70s, every horse turned a year older on January 1st, regardless of when they were actually born. Ruffian was born in April, so on Jan 1st, 1973, she was chronologically almost 9 months old. Some foals aren't born until September, so they're only 4 months old on Jan 1st.
Your opinions and I can live with that. But where do you measure the strength of her heart? One major disagreement I have with you is you believe Ruffians wasn't qualified to run against Foolish Pleasure. (You didn't say it exactly with those words but that's what you were suggesting.) Ruffian's competition? She won 8 Stakes Races and set Track Records for each of them. A front runner? Front runners can be caught. Not Ruffian. She was a beast! Foolish Pleasure? His jockey was probably given instructions to take the lead from Ruffian in the back stretch and then set the pace for the remainder of the race. HE COULDN'T DO IT. RUFFIAN WOULD NOT LET HIM PASS. FOOLISH GAVE UP WITH THE IDEA AND FIGURED THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK SO I'LL HAVE TO SEE IF WE CAN CATCH HER IN THE STRETCH. Sadly, we'll never know. Pedigree? More quality involved than you suggested. Injuries? Every time the starting gate opens everyone keeps their fingers crossed, thus is the danger in horse racing. And, btw, I believe you'll find more horses who didn't accomplish a thing although the recipient of fine breeding vs horses of less popular breeding. CLOSING COMMENT: Today is July6, 2024, and that fateful race took place July 7, 1975, 49 years ago TOMORROW. I saw the race and I cried and I still tear up every time I think of her and the race. 49 years ago and match races have become something to never consider doing again. Susan's comment below said it all.
All race horses are related, even the quarter horses. Heck, even Morgan's were selective bred from thoroughbreds. This is clearly a big problem with the breed as the gene pool is shrinking and there is a ton of inbreeding.
I don’t know nothing about nothing of a horse’s physiology. I’ve been a fan of racing for nearly 60 years and Ruffian was BY FAR the best filly that I ever saw. She dominated her competition with multiple stakes record times. 6 furlongs in 1:08.3 at SAR. she was 2/5 to beat Foolish Pleasure.
How come when she was beating one mediocre filly after another no one questioned "her bloodline" . But 1st time she runs,against a very good Colt who was not letting her run away with the race, he was right off her shoulder, she breaks down and all of a sudden it was because of her bloodline.
I'm not saying that blaming the bloodline is right or wrong, and perhaps you mean it rhetorically. But like any tragedy, analysis comes after it has occurred. Stuff from the Challenger, to Princess Diana's death and etc.
Native Dancer is in pretty much every horses lines today, either via Northern Dancer or Raise A Native>Mr Prospector. The reality is the horses that have stronger muscles, later bones, are going from faster and then be bred to other horses like them. However, that combination is deadly, and is simple physics.....a super light race car with a hige powerful engine will go fast but be more prone to fall apart - while a heavy built truck with slow engine will last long but be slow. The way the sport is incentivized guarantees that there will be lots of breakdowns.
Ruffian broke her leg because like all the thoroughbred race horses they are FORCED to carry weight and run way too young, and treated way too cruel. Guess these through red owners and trainers won't expect a 9 month old baby to be able to carry 120 pounds on their back and be able to run supper fast. It is the what the do to the race horses
Foolish comments!😂😂😂 THEY RACE aged 24+ months. Not 9.months. Zero "cruelty": Horses are waaay better treated than humans! U ever eat CHICKEN? BEEF? Go study those industries....
Back in the 1970s, a vet was working on artificial legs on horses. Yes, he cut off the leg on a healthy horse. But when his research was stopped he had a 2 legged station who could breed a mare. His work could have saved her and Barbaro
She broke down bc foolish pleasure was the fastest colt at that time, and ruffian was the fastest filly, by that they had to overwork themselves, and bc of all the pressure she would of just maybe broke down anyway, but the pigeon did fly in her face causing ruffian an unexpected scene and all the pressure ruffian had there the pigeon caused her to break down
It has more to do with the breeding & racing so young continuously in the same direction. Her rider said hitting the gate had nothing to do with it, nor did the competition. Horses don’t break down because of who they are racing against.
The match race should have never happened, pure ego, man vs women, Ruffian was a great racehorse, a female Secretariat. Racing wasn't the same after that, to put ego and greed, RIP RUFFIAN
But why didn’t foolish pleasure break down. He too is a front runner and has a very similar pedigree to ruffian. We all know that ruffian is the better horse because she died doing what she loved and did best and I don’t think FP would’ve stayed beside her
If you want my opinion I personally think Foolish Pleasure was way better equipped for this race. While he didn’t obliterate his opponents like Ruffian did it was because the horses he ran against were way tougher then anything Ruffian ever faced. He also was more often a stalker then a front runner even in the match race he sat comfortably right behind Ruffian a neck behind. He had both raced more and against tougher horses so he was likely sounder. Also he didn’t have any issues with his lead legs or banged his shoulder on the gate at the start.
I think she brokedown cuz when they started her she was 1,5 yo and she was already after races when she was 2 yo. It's too soon horses should be started when they are at least 3 yo or older. So probably her bones wasn't in the best shape or condition after that.
It was about Ruffian’s bloodline and bedigree. Her dam’s sire Native Damcer had really soft bones and was in bred horse. Her sire also had the same problem same as her sire’s sire Bold Ruler. He got many injuries in his career. It was just clearly bad genes that caused her bones to be weaker. She already suffered hair fracture at her back leg
In addition Ruffian was on her Wrong lead in the strecth 90% of the time. This inself indicates soundness issues you addressed. Sound Horse are NOT constantly on their wrong lead. And Yes Foolish Pleasue was by far the best she faced. Ruffian raced vs some pretty average females, By comparison Zenyatta Face far Harder competition. She defeated the best boys in the world and Nearly did it a 2nd time beaten a nose by a male Blame who was life and death to hold off the late surge by Zenyatta. i saw them both and going a mile and 1/8th I take Ruffian. At a mile and 1/4 or more Zenyatta would have beat Ruffian 75% of the time.
@@alivstyson1864 My opinion is based on the clock, you forget the race times. By the time Zenyatta started his final sprint, Ruffian would already be at the finish line. Nor does it seem correct to me to compare a 5-year-old mare with one that when she died was barely 3 years old
@@TheMsatru Oh Jezzz not knowing that Zenyatta was a her not him makes anything else you say devoid of crediability. Also Zenyatta had a faster mile and 1/4 time and if you project last quarters she was also faster at a mile and 1/2. You are entiteled to your MIS INFORMED opinion
Zenyatta was .500 vs open company and both fields were relatively weak for a classic - there were no Pharoah, Gun Runners, Arrogates, Chromes or Shared Beliefs in there. The best malea around her age, like Big Brown, were retired to stud as they were too valuable. Lookin At Lucky was not a 10F horse, a young there year old, and the race was on synthetic, which is the ultimate equalizer and like turf Ruffian atleast ran on dirt. Anytime we have a female that is on par with the best males, they always get wildly over rated by the fans, like people saying Zenyatta was the best ever. The reality is she was a 110-115 type beyer horse, which a few of those are produced every year with the males, but very rarely with the females. Every few years a 115- 120 Beyer type comes around. More rare than that are the Flightline types that can push 125 Beyers. Zenyatta would get decimated by a horse like Flightline, Ghostzapper, prime Arrogate or Pharoah. Mike Smith was adamant that Arrogate was superior to Zenyatta. She was phenomenal for a female, but really only on par with the best males that come out every year, and very one dimensional - she was a synthetic, 10 furlong deep closer....couldn't sprints run on dirt, press or lead.
If you look she was lame in the pen any good jockey would have got of then and call vet you could see she was going to brake her leg there before race even started if anyone was good in her team or gave a ? about her they would have stopped her before the race even started
At least secretariat didn't break down. What was her biggest accomplishment? Secretariat's records still stand after 48 years also, he won by 31 lengths so simply stfu
Just thought I’d clarify a few things here! Secretariat definitely wouldn’t smash Ruffian. Could he win had they ran against each other? Yes, it’s very possible. However, same goes for Ruffian. Theres no way he’d be able to win by a large margin against her because there’s no way that Ruffian would give up to Secretariat. We never saw Ruffian being pushed, she was simply let loose in the stretch of all her races. Man O War, Slew and Enable probably would’ve been bigger challenges for Ruffian. It’s just a bit ridiculous how much Secretariat is overhyped.
Those owners and trainers killed her. This race was all about greed . Man vs woman. This race should have never been done. She was winning and then she was spooked and you can clearly see it in the recording. They should have had that track clear of any and all things . This was a murder on this beautiful horse. Her whole family had really bad issues with legs. It went far passed her sire and dam. Both sides of her bloodline are leg problems. They were over bred over raced drugged and just a disaster in the making and it is a shame that this beautiful horse paid the ultimate painful price all for human greed.
Everyone know why she broke down. It was her breeding. What do you think happens when you breed together two horses that has broken legs? You get Ruffian. She was glass bred.
2:09 This is the principle reason. Foolish Pleasure was a BAD ASS. A great colt who should've made gozillions in stud fees. Sadly he was unfairly blamed and stigmatized by the horse racing community for "killing" Ruffian so that never happened.
Horse races start racing on the horses when they are still not old enough (2-3 uears old). At that time the horses joints and bones are not strong and ready for such a preasure from racing and simply break while runing. Keep in mind when her leg broke the operator called her a filly, wich means that she is still not a mare, not fully grown up, she was basicaly a child. No wonder her leg broke. Becouse racing should be banned in all counties. Many horses die from such injuries in racing idustry. This is not a rare ocasion.
A blanket statement like “ban horse racing everywhere” is simply not a good idea I get the intention but all that would do is displace millions of horses leading to a lot more of them dying. Currently horse deaths are at an all time low of 99.86% of flat racing starts not resulting in fatal injury. Or 1.39 fatal injuries per 1,000 starts.
What a joke ,you should spend some time working for a trainer so you can see what really goes on before you make a fool out of yourself , to late for that
Foolish pleasure would have never beaten ruffian if she did not have been bones and poor breeding ruffian was by far the superior horse and what everyone if not for thin bones in her bloodline that is the only thing you got right on your list of why ruffy and broke down she was far better than foolish pleasure that's why the jockey chose ruffian over bullish pleasure so let's not degrade the best because she had poor breeding
Race Film shows she was pulling away and was in front when she broke down. Knowing her racing history, I truly believe she would have beat Foolish Pleasure. She tied or broke track records with every single race. Foolish Pleasure can't say that... well he's a horse so of course he can't "say that" but you get my drift... I digress: Vasquez would've been holding her until the top of the stretch, and then let her loose. Baeza (on Foolish Pleasure) had a bad history with Frank Whiteley. He rode Damascus in 1967 and lost against Dr. Fager, costing Damascus Horse of The Year. Baeza claimed Damascus was sore, Whiteley claims Baeza held the horse back so Dr. Fager could get HOTY. Baeza knew early on in Ruffian's career he'd never be on a filly that could beat her, so during Ruffian's 2nd or 3rd race, (it was the race with My Girl, Laughing Bridge- with Baeza on board, Ruffian, and another horse- Copernica, maybe?) Baeza startled Ruffian mid-race in hopes she would wear herself out. His plan failed. Laughing Bridge ended up 3rd.
If you think Ruffian didn't face good animals, how do you explain that she equaled or beat the records of the tracks she ran. How do you explain that she received whiplash in only one of the races, as a muscle strain was found. Judging by her voice, you must be very young to do this type of analysis, leave that to someone who saw her race sitting in the racetracks.
Equaled track record Equaled own track record New stakes record. One-fifth off track record New stakes record New stakes record New stakes record New stakes record New stakes record Tied stakes record Did not finish
Equaled track record Equaled own track record New stakes record. One-fifth off track record New stakes record New stakes record New stakes record New stakes record New stakes record Tied stakes record Did not finish
Ruffian fractured her sesamoids coming out of the gate when she jammed her right ankle into the ground and pushed off all her weight onto it leaving the gate. You can see it in the slow motion replay. She ran for a quarter mile on a fractured sesamoid until it shattered. Had she not fractured her sesamoids, she would not have broke down. Foolish Pleasure kept her from falling down. She leaned all her weight into him trying to stay upright and not fall down. She didn’t try to keep running... she was trying to come to a stop on three legs without falling. She didn’t want to fall. She had dignity and used all her strength to stay on her remaining three legs. She refused to go down. The vet was no help with that ridiculous air cast that did nothing, then walking her up a trailer ramp with no hydraulic lift or assistance for her. Her end was an absolute horror for her as she was kept alive for several more hours in a half assed attempt to save her. The vet who saved the great, Hoist the Flag, was not around to save Ruffian. They never should have put her in a match race. They should have waited until the end of August and run her up at Saratoga in the Travers. That would have given her over a months rest to go against the boys, instead they chose to throw her into a quarter horse race....ridiculous. RIP Ruffy.
I am glad you pointed out the schedule. All we hear today is that the Triple Crown is too hard. Well, this was another Derby-length race only three weeks after the Belmont. And as an all out sprint.
Absolutely 100% a senseless death of a great great horse.
Thank you, Susan, for the best comment here about the horse we loved RIP Ruffian.🐎
Spoken like a TRUE and caring horseman. Explained perfectly. Sadly we lost a near perfect specimen way too soon.
She would have embarrassed Foolish Pleasure. Thank you
Muito bem explicado amigo ,sou Brasileiro e sou fan de Ruffian e Secretariat,para mim foi a maior egua de corridas de todos os tempos ,infelizmente a ganancia de seus donos ,e a batida no portão ,acabou com a carreira dela ,mas ela jamais será esquecida enquanto existir esse mundo
Strange Fact. Almost 15yrs after Ruffian broke down, another great filly named Go For Wand broke down on the same track, during what you could call a match race, while she passed the flag pole by which Ruffian is buried.
I was watching that breeders cup distaff I believe it was. Go for wand breakdown was alot more violent. Very sad to see a horse breakdown and jockey thrown
They were also both three years old. Do you know where Go For Wand is burried?
@@gacha_vibez832 She's buried in the infield at Saratoga Race Track in NY.
go for wand was not a match race in any way
@@nycitylifeandhistory- It started against the field but evolved into a match race. She and Bayakoa were head-and-head before the half and multiple lengths ahead before the 3/4ths.
One of the reasons Zenyatta raced so long , was she started racing much later then normal. Her bones were grown and hardened. But we are so impatient and Greedy. We ride them real young. And race them way too young.
I raised horses. I didn’t even back them til they were 2 and a half. Riding gently at 3.
JeanKennet: Clever Cowgirl does this too: CC rehabs horses very slow, she does not race them, and is remarkably astute about their needs, physical and emotional.
Amen
Studies have shown that horses who started at 2 are less likely to suffer serious injuries. People need to stop the "stop racing horses so young" narrative.
My opinion: riding at 2, fine usually. The type of intense training race horses get at 2, after being started as yearlings? Not ok
very informative. i never understood what happened. this actually helps me deal with what remains one of racing's most painful tragedies.
A friend of the owner who was there is interviewed at the end of this short video. She shattered both sesamoid bones in right ankle and continued to run!!! The wound filled with dirt. Sad.
th-cam.com/video/YnZFnCvKspw/w-d-xo.html
The #1 issue was she, along with all race horse's, was she was ridden before her bones, ligaments, and tendons had even developed. That is what does horse's in. If she had been given the proper time to develop, five years of age, she would most likely have lived a long life.
My aunt’s horse was being trained as a race horse before she got him. I can’t remember exactly what made them sell him but it was either something wrong with his shoulder or leg due to them not letting him develop before training. I believe he was 2 maybe 3 when she got him. He is now showing English style shows in jumping and happy with what he does. I wish that was the case for other horses.
@Maxie Waxie it's sad. They just need time to mature. Not get them running as soon as possible. They're an investment, not a pay day. I'm super happy to hear about your aunts former horse! Glad the ending turned out great🩷
she wa three, the epiphyses were closed
@user-xr4jv4qt1g they should be ridden no sooner than 4 years of age. They started racing her way before she turned three
This is false information. Age doesn’t make a horse strong, gradual increase to workload does. Ruffian was a very unsound horse, trained conventionally, and that was what killed her. I highly suggest you read the book about her. She had many issues. It has nothing to do with her age. There’s research available that demonstrates starting light exercise (gallops) before the growth plates close increases the strength of bone. The younger the horse the better their body adapts and strengthens.
I remember this like yesterday. I was a young, horse-crazy girl and this broke my heart. I had a model horse of Ruffian - or maybe one that I just named ruffian. Tragic
Me too.
When Mr. Tesio started to breed horses he obtain Cavaliere D'Arpino, that ultimately was his favourite horse, very fast but also very fragile. His descendants were more reliable (like Ribot), but ultimately the more sturdy and balanced Nearco became the starting point of the modern thoroughbred
Nearco was an amazing TB. My old TB had him twice in his pedigree. My horse never raced---he was used as a hunter/jumper, 18.2 hands tall. Died in 2007 from colic at age 34. (Jan Griffiths).
What about the surface change from the chute to the main track?
Jane Schwartz, who wrote "Ruffian: Burning From The Start," pointed this out. However, it was decided (per the book) that the horses started from post position 3 and 4 instead of 1 and 2, as it would not give either horse a bigger advantage as far as the track bogging the inside horse (Ruffian) down.
Schwartz also pointed out that Ruffian was taller, heavier, and broader and, in general, bigger than FP. The only thing that was smaller was her shoe size.
I truly believe she would've beat the colt, as she was pulling away with each stride, once she got comfortable (per her jockey, Jacinto Valasquez).
Schwartz did a fantastic job with her research, and she was able to talk to everyone in Ruffian's "inner circle," with the exception of Dan Williams, who died in 1977.
If you haven't read Jane Schwartz's book, it goes into much more detail.
I have the book. Awesome read about an awesome filly. (Jan Griffiths).
Very introspective piece that really delves into the mystery and tragedy of the beautiful soul that was Ruffian, great job, I really hope you do more like this in the future, even if as inferences and personal theories.
I wish you all the best, It's great to see a proper Racing TH-cam channel pop up that's informative but blatantly honest, as a full time Trackwork Rider in racing thank you!
I gotta thank you back as well for such a kind comment its what I look forward to the most when I make a horse racing video. Everything you said here is basically my goal everytime I make a racing vid like this. To be transparant but honest. I sure hope being an Trackword Rider is a fun job for you although it also sounds hard. If you want more content like this I did recently publish a video called "Mysterious Racehorse Deaths" that talks about similarly fallen horses like Shergar,Alydar, and Medine Spirit with hopefully a similar sense of blatent honesty as here. th-cam.com/video/60KgkbzgjFk/w-d-xo.html. Good luck on your riding!
How about the fact that they breed TBs w/ lighter bones for more speed coupled with them being ridden before they're even 2 yrs old? If they waited til the joints were developed & bones strengthened less of this would happen...
Exactly, that’s so obvious but people ignore it. This is the main reason!
This is True, but there isn't anything people can do if they wanna race horses because most races require under 5 years of age, and ages 5-7 is when they are fully developed.
It was about Ruffian’s bloodline and bedigree. Her dam’s sire Native Damcer had really soft bones and was in bred horse. Her sire also had the same problem same as her sire’s sire Bold Ruler. He got many injuries in his career. It was just clearly bad genes
@@tyyppip5984 It is more than that. The TB is slowly being ruined by inbreeding, by not breeding enough for a solid and even temperament, by having tiny little stick legs that are too small to support the upper body. It is also in some cases getting more difficult for them to perform in other disciplines, or at least I predict it will get to that point.
A good jumping horse needs to have steady legs, strong ones that can handle the impact. The biggest breeders of the TB breed are those that breed for the racetrack. Many live very sad and brutal lives that have no regard for them as individuals: some individuals may have the right pedigree, but just don't want to run. They wind up at slaughter just a little too often, if you ask me. Culling the more gentle natured or the less inclined to be running machines is not good as it means only the speed machines get to go on to reproduce. Multiply that by generations, and problems crop up.
The TB used to be revered for its courage. I wouldn't call it a brave horse breed at all these days, but one with no brakes. They'd be a poor choice for an infantry horse these days. They will run their hearts out for you, true, but if they spook, it is in my experience harder to calm them down.
It is why I advocate reopening the studbook a bit. They will get slower as a breed at first, but they won't hurt themselves as much.
PS-Bold Ruler was more accident prone than anything else, usually because he was a bit of a big brown goofy thing. His most famous son had the same trait as a colt: Big Red used to walk right into barn doors. A few of Secretariat's daughters also inherited the clumsy gangly legs both Papa and Grandpa gave them; the same habit of getting injured was tied to having very long legs and a short body, like a spider. The same trait made them fly down the track. Poor Ruffian got her ability to fly from Bold Ruler, but her bad legs from Dancer and Shenanigans.
@@makennabouillon2836 then they shouldn’t be raced
That filly was bred to break down. The Polynesian bloodline is notorious for fragility. Walter Farley said it best, 9 years before she was foaled: She comes equipped with fragile legs. Gets it from her sire, Polynesian, just as she does her speed. If it didn't happen now, it would've later.
Almost every Derby entrant , if not all of them, has some Polynesian in their pedigree. I guess we know what to expect.
@@christineheminger7762 - yes, that was actually the entire point of the quote. The modern-day Thoroughbred has sacrificed soundness in order to chase speed, and we see it in Ruffian, we see it in Go for Wand, we see it in Eight Belles, we see it in George Washington, we see it in Pine Island, we see it in Union City, we see it in Barbaro, and indeed the vast majority of other notable, catastrophic breakdowns, particularly tracing to Polynesian through Raise a Native.
@@sheltiesong I guess my point was that I don’t understand why, with all the greats that didn’t have Polynesian blood, have they chosen to have this blood in many branches of the pedigree instead of Man O’ War, Citation, Whirlaway, Swaps,Gallant Fox, Omaha, Count Fleet, Secretariat? If speed in a great race horse was the goal, there are many to choose from; I don’t understand why it’s all been narrowed down to this line. If you asked most people with a bit of knowledge who aren’t in the racing world to name a great race horse I don’t think anyone would name Polynesian or even Native Dancer. It usually breaks down to MOW or Sec
What nonsense. Her sire was not Polynesian, it was Reviewer. In fact, Polynesian doesn't appear in her pedigree until the third generation of her female line.
@@whipsaw - You would think that me mentioning the quote was from a book written 9 years before Ruffian was foaled would have clued you in that the filly the quote was about wasn't Ruffian.
Rather, it was a commentary on the fragility passed down through the Polynesian bloodline, of which Ruffian is a part.
Ruffian’s trainer had a disagreement with the owners just days before the match Race he felt she was not ready to race against foolish pleasure but the owners went ahead anyway entered her in the race anyways
Thank you
The story of Seattle Slew too.
@@DeannaWalsh To be fair no horse had a chance against JO Tobin that day
@@DanielSong39 He was pretty amazing that day, and those were really tough horses in that race. He might’ve even beaten Secretariat that day, finishing the 1-1/4 miles in 158.3 at age 3. The internal fractions were super fast.
Thanks for sharing this. What a travesty. I'm glad to hear that Ruffian's trainer tried to advocate for her because this whole thing is heartbreaking.
It also has to do with the fact that they start running these horses way to early and their joints and bones are not strong enough to handle the pressure I don't care what hate people send cause it is the truth
What were these trainers giving to these horses back in these days?
@@K2mtp They gave them steroids and dopped them up to not show signs of injury or pain a practice that is still used today not that anyone will state the truth also people have been killed to keep them from telling the truth so anytime you bet on a horse race you are helping them out
no, youre completely right actually. I agree 100 percent
I hate racing🥲
The statistics completely counter this point
I little cannot watch this it is so scary when she just screams 😭 rip ruffian u were amazing 💗❤💔
Literally *
If you never read the book Ruffian: Burning From the Start you should. Very good post, but I believe you left one other factor. It was a Match Race. Match races used to be much more common, but until this race had faded away, for good reason. Many people felt they really didn't prove very much and were detrimental to the participants. Plenty of opportunities existed for Ruffian to race against colts. There was no need for this race, and as you mentioned tossing her into her first race against a horse who was tougher than she'd ever faced was not smart. Would just like to mention one other thing. Both the movie and book edited out the total cluster that took place after she was injured. Don't know if it would have saved her, but it certainly didn't help.
Great info!❤❤❤
i think a lot of people don't understand how much genetics affect soundness. i'm currently looking into an OTTB as my next horse and found one that would have been perfect, a gelding, my prefered height and color (Black) located nearby, heck he was even $500 less than we were expecting to spend, but then i looked at his pedigree. native dancer was on both sides of his lineage multiple times. yeah that took him out of the running real fast. when i told my family this they were like "But he's perfect for you..." yeah it took me an hour to explain why having a horse inbred multiple times to a infamous soft boned sire was a bad idea.
Is this some sweet home Alabama shit?
Cruelty.
If you research pedigrees of most of the horses running today, you'll find most linebred to Native Dancer. That's not a huge factor. What exacerbated the whole problem was the fact that they ride those horses when they're not even 2 years old. If she had not been ridden til she was 4, this likely wouldn't have happened...
@@cindyrissal3628 actually most modern breakdowns happen in horses 4 and older according to the jockey club injury database. All injuries have to be reported to the jockey club. Sadly native dancer is a notoriously bad blood line for sadness that isn't going away as it is in every modern North American thoroughbred. Yes I have actually spent the last four years of my life researching tb bloodlines as well as the history of the sport in the United States.
@@cindyrissal3628 that is right you tell them
She took a bad step that’s all it’s that simple … if she did that at the gate never would she have gone 22 the first quarter. No way bad step ….. best filly hands down .
"....a glass cannon waiting to break."
#1) unsound due to humans ego
#2) pushed @ a young age due to humans ego
#3) "match race" due to humans ego
Patterns are obvious. Since her pedigree was known, Ruffian, like hundreds of thousands of horses are forced into unnatural behavior so humans can win money, notoriety, social standing, receive invitations to cocktail parties, etc.
Prayers to all the horses forced to race like this and to all horses abused, neglected, and sent to slaughter, including race horses and mares, whom humans view as disposable now that their "function" is over.
The real issue is us and we know it.
This was the era of "women's lib" issues and stupid man/woman challenges. This race was pure ego and hype on the owners part. But this isn't the first time there was a needless ugly race blown up with hype where horses were condemned to die. I liken this to gladiatorial combat to the death in Rome. Thrills for the crowd hungry for blood. Cash for the owners. And commentators back then saying Ruffian breaking down "proved" fillies couldn't cut running with the boys. I thought you did a fair and balanced job. It also shows how little sexism influences people today. Her blood lines meant more in the race than her gender. It took almost 50 years but I appreciate that some one finally said it.
Thank yoy foe telling the teuth about this match race BS
I think when she came out of the starting gate… it threw her off..
Your points are good. Also they could have wrapped all 4 legs, that might have been enough to make it he injury a bit less traumatic, and waiting to the end of the year before her next race, or even better until she turned 4 years old. Another problem was the medications and how the vets woke horses up after surgery all played a part.
Just look at how horses are woke up now, in a raft in water,
Just very sad. She could have had many foals, many of the stallions then had better leg bones, out crossing with those stallions could have strengthen her fragile bones.
But we will never know,
I remember watching this race. It broke my heart for more than one reason. My first love in thoroughbreds was Foolish Pleasure. He was my first pick to win a race in my young life, & he won. It did not hurt that I was an East Tennessean like his owner. I followed him religiously from then on. I wanted him to win this race despite my being a girl because I loved him & still do. He forever is overshadowed by Ruffian due to that terrible incident. She was a wonderful filly. I cried over her death. Foolish Pleasure will always be my favorite horse & I still cry when I see that match race for two reasons.
My own opinion is that someday soon they are going to have to reopen the studbook for the Thoroughbred horse since the inbreeding coefficient just keeps getting worse and that mean less and less sound horses, mentally and physically.
I otherwise believe that too much emphasis is put on their running and not enough attention is being paid to the fact that they have teeny tiny hooves and toothpick legs as a breed, yet also have a huge body on top. They will be completely unsuitable as a jumper in the next hundred years because the laws of physics are against them. Constant inbreeding will eventually ruin the Thoroughbred, and there will be many more Ruffians to come. (There has already been a Storm Cat, and for the record, that horse was NUTZ. Very different temperament to his uber famous granddad, the Great Red One, who though no angel would not bite your head off or rage in his stall. Nobody is ever going to convince me that horse didn't have psychological issues, nor that he didn't inherit them from an unsound of mind ancestor.)
PS-A short list of candidates to add their DNA to a reopened studbook could include the Standardbred (very sound legs and nice big hooves) Akhal Teke, Welsh Cob (closest thing to Irish Hobby, one of the types the English originally bred the Byerly Turk, Gondolphin Arabian, and Darley Arabian to) Quarter Horse (still used as a racing horse and has a more steady as she goes temperament in general) Arabian (obvious choice) Cleveland Bay, and Akhal Teke.
I have long thought that they should introduce some new Arabian blood into thoroughbreds. Arabians have stronger bone, equal speed and more stamina. We lose a lot of tbs in racing in the uk and I have thought about either a solution or at least an easing of the number of fatalities.
@@janedwards5292 I have thought of the Arabians, too, since that would be a nice addition that already is a piece of the original foundation stock. The only drawback there is size. They aren't a terribly large horse and they have a shorter stride. Go watch some Triple Crown winners and you realize they run like a greyhound. BIIIG stride. Secretariat pretty much flew like Superman: His stride was so big that when all four hooves were off the ground, he looked like he was flying. That was 50 years ago, mind.
I am not saying that Arabian horses should not be part of the plan of reopening the studbook, but more like they should not be the only ones. Add them to the list, but I am looking at more mixing than that because that inbreeding coefficient is getting higher and higher. It is getting to be madness.
The Standardbred has great hooves, very good size indeed and the leg is more substantial, less like a toothpick. They have much more bone and are comparable in size to the current TB, but with a bigger butt. (Good padding, if you ask me, very good protection provided by muscle down to the knees the current TB does not have. ) It already does share some older ancestry with the TB, but has a more-happy-go-lucky-temperament. With a little practice they can become decent hunters, too. Just because they have a gait does not mean they are born without the ability to gallop. Ohhh, they can gallop alright.
At this point, some TB's are scared of the sound of their own farts, Jan. Think about it: a horse that jumps and has a near heart attack every time it poots. Not good. I doubt it was like that in the beginning or they would have never made it. A lot of the stability and hardiness that would have been in the little ponies and Hobby mares in England at one time are no longer enough to hold the TB. They have lost that balance of calm when calm is called for. Mixing in a Standie would do that and correct some big confirmation problems. Even adding some QH blood would correct the fart fearful: they usually are very sweet in nature and don't spook easily. In fact, that the QH is a natural sprinter that has been clocked at up to about 56 mph also would help. (Imagine a horse who can go that fast but then will behave like an overgrown beagle at the sight of the flowers being laid on his back: "Mommy! Mommy! Look-they put in little roses! JUNK FOOOOOD, JUST FOR MEEEEE!!" [Butt starts to wiggle and tail starts swishing with hope that he will be allowed some for lunch.)
My own opinion on the racetrack in the UK has to do with hurdle events-too many horses on the field of play, no more than ten should compete!! Again, madness! Someday there will be no survivors.
I would like to keep in touch with you if only to find out what else you come up with. You mention breeds that I didn't consider. Some of the desert need Arabian are quite big and do have a longer stride. The best Crabbett ones were from the desert.
@UC4px39nhs5-3z82GSfvOYYg I am not, I am more of a casual observer and horse geek; you would probably know more than I do on some things, Jan.
Besides, as far as I am aware, the main studbook, the mother book, is in England. (I am writing this from Massachusetts, USA.) That is where the records going back to the Byerly Turk would be. The UK is the Thoroughbred's home. What was begun at the end of the 17th century should by rights be repaired in the 21st in the UK; America was an early adopter (first TB would have arrived by the 1730s) but we don't have the right to reopen the studbook willy nilly like that. (We will raise our hand to volunteer if asked, but that is as far as it goes: nobody likes the arrogant twerp who gets up and swaggers, then tries to shave Pegasus's wings if he was not the true creator of Pegasus!)
Look, more seriously, I just call it like I see it. Too many TB horses die unnecessarily and too many are being overbred. Some practices of the racehorse world have GOT to be stopped for good. It is a living creature. You own it, you care for it all the days of its life whether it makes you so much as a cent or not. And every horse is good for something: privately I am in the minority, but I think it is feasible that, some day soon, prostheses for horses is an answer to laminitis. The horse wants to LIVE, fellas. It is a matter of getting the tech right. No horse in the modern age should have to be shot for a broken leg. Since he cannot hobble around on a cane, this is the next best thing and it should be pursued.
@@janedwards5292
As for the TB, well, I have seen TBs be put to work, believe it or not, on the ranch. Nobody thought at first they would last a minute: this is NOT the breed you want to face off against the bull because it WILL freak out. Like I said, too easily scared. Wrong discipline.
But that speed works well in a roundup, it turns out. Anybody who tells you that a TB cannot be retrained for Western equitation is lying-they can, they have. They will not quit. They will run for as long as the man on their back tells them to or die trying. (Cousin of mine says it is like riding a rocket-cows do NOT like being chased by the fastest endurance horse on earth and probably think they have found their own private hell with the fastest sprinter and the fastest endurance runner working together, one in the pen, the other on the range.)
My thinking is that with some crossbreeding, they won't go lame as easily-on the range, that is their big weakness, the delicate legs. Just like the racetrack. For the kind of running they are doing, they need more bone and bigger hooves and a bigger gene pool to draw from. And the cherry on top is that they will be nigh unstoppable. They won't freak out as bad and that means less advanced owners can take them, too, without worrying if the horse will go bonkers at the most faint sound.
THE MAIN GODDAMN THING WAS SHE WAS TOO GODDAMN YOUNG TO BE RACING AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER STEPPED FOOT ON THAT DAMN TRACK IN THE FIRST PLACE
Greedy owners only think about $ and they don't deserve to own a beautiful horse like that..😢
How old was she?
Thank you for such a thorough review of the situation. I'd read about the pedigree issues on the internet, and I'm really glad you touched base on that. We can't overlook the fact that Ruffian's DNA called for her being prone to breaking down. Someone, below, also noted that the trainer tried to dissuade the owners from racing her against the horse, saying that Ruffian was not ready. So, it sounds as if lots was going on, and perhaps the bad breaking out of the gate was the point that sealed the fate. Regardless, no matter what happened to contribute to Ruffian's breakdown, how sad. I hope that future rules call for more strict laws around horse racing and required fitness/ horse build/ soundness laws so that we stop indirectly killing horses. They can't speak for themselves.
Biggest reason is owners DIDNT LISTEN TO TRAINER
Barbaro ... they false started and had to restart ... he was messed up in that start plus they are just running them as babies ... terrible and sad!!! I was late to a wedding because I was watching Barbaro break his leg and then sobbed my way all the way to the wedding. All I could see thru all of it was his broken leg flopping around after he came out of the starting gate the final time.😢
Just want to let you know that i realy enjoy your content doing a great job
Keep up the good work
I read that she had cracked a bone in her leg once before. They let her heal and they put her back into the races again. They should've retired her after that. Yes, she had a bad pedigree. They don't take soundness into account when they breed these horses and they run them too young. The larger the animal, the longer it takes them to mature. All they are worried about is the almighty dollar and the horses pay the price.
That horse had and issue with that same front leg that broke off go and rewatch the movie and see the trainer deal with it in the stall even the jockey noticed she was changing her leads even before the match race
I had to look down during your video, I couldn't watch. I watched this match race "live" on television and didn't want to see her break down again. I do recall from reading the newspaper and magazine accounts that Leroy Jolley schooled Foolish Pleasure to get him to leave the gate faster, and stay with Ruffian. But the trainer of Ruffian said he was relying on her natural speed.
I still watch racing replays, but not this one.
I can’t believe you completely overlooked Ruffian’s own soundness issues. Ruffian did not break down because her father or grandfather did. She broke down because she was unsound. There are way too many factors that we know today about what contributes to poor soundness to boil it down to “well her dad and granddad weren’t sound.”
The reason why we have so many unsound horses is because horse trainers don’t know the first thing about exercise science and bone remodeling, PERIOD.
Agree that her pedigree as concerns soundness is horrid. One thing that people never bring up, at least that I've heard, is that Ruffian had an egg beater gate with the right front leg. Watch some of her races when they show a head on shot. I firmly believe that this gate contributed to her break down as much as anything.
Not necessarily. Seabiscuit way back in the 1930s had a really weird gait. His legs were flying out in all directions. He did injure his leg, but that was after a very different kind of accident where he pretty much tripped. His legs were otherwise fine; he raced a lot more than Ruffian did and it is more interesting that he didn't get injured MORE than he actually did; he also made a full recovery after his whoops-a-daisies on the track and in retirement showed no signs of lameness at all.
Having an off kilter gait is not enough.
I believe it was the track. Not the horse. When she broke her leg they didn't have a lift to keep her off the leg
Ruffian was royally bred. Northern dancer is one of the most prolific sires of all time. and she was also a half-sister to Grade 1 winning ice Capade and to laughter who was the dam of private terms who won the Wood Memorial.
Royally bred to break down. Both of her parents have broken legs. The reason she was so fast was because her bones were so light and fragile. She was simply carrying less weight than her competitors.
Northen Dancer and Bold Ruler. Its no wonder she was amazing.
Ruffian, like Alydar and Genuine Risk were gateshotters, they can get hurt as they excite out of the gatebto race without any tapping. Roadrunner style
A few things first. Ruffian did not need competición. Her only competición Was the clock
She either equal and or brole the Stakes or Track record Just about every time she race. Starting With her Maiden race. And had she not broke down. She probably Woud had done again.
Exactly!!!
While i agree with all your points, their is a key factor besides the bad start that killed her.. had she not had the bad start its very likely she would've been ok. And most likely even won the race.. but the major thing that most people don't bring up is.. This was a match race. The goal of these races was push for the lead and hold it. Turning what should be a normal race, into a insane speed duel, that is not a simple mile race, that sprinters would run.. they expected these distance runners to sprint for mile and a half? In some of these races before ruffians time, they even started whipping before the halfway pole, simply to make them take the lead. Secretariat is the only horse in history, to come even close to sprinting the Belmont, and that was of his own choice, not ronnie hitting him or even making him run. This race pretty much was the nail in the coffin for match races because it showed just how cruel and abusive match races were.
Well said. Amen.
@@sunnyseacat6857Ronnie saw the times on the boards and raced SEC very hard to beat the record. So SEC was not hands down ridden...
I was at Belmont the day before the race. They set 2 track records that day and also had to euthanize 2 horses. It was clear that they made the track especially hard in preparation for the match race. That is what killed Ruffian.
Her legs weren't in a good condition for the race at that day. Trainer new that. That race was too much for her legs.
And that movie gives us a hint about that - Ruffian's legs.
Hablar cual el mejor caballo pregúntele al entrenador de Secretaria todos dicen que Secretaria fue el mejor Pero el entrenador de Secretaria dice que Fue Rufián saludos desde Venezuela ❤
The birds up ahead on the track caused a brief hesitation in her gallop …. this is exactly what happened. Ruffian is buried at the Belmont finish line facing nose first.
She is now back in Kentucky at the clairborne farm.
Has no one ever thought about the fact that when you bang a shoulder that at some point you will suffer a twinge that will result in a moment of pain. It's only my opinion but I feel that that twinge may have caused the misstep. Also she was in the lead when it happened. In all fairness when she hit the gate the race should have been stopped. Money and vanity led to the death of a good horse . 😢
The reason this sweet girl had to die is that she was only three years old and racing her heart out. A horses legs do not knit until they are 5 years old. I repeat, 5 years old. If she was three years old and racing, that means they were on her back at least at two years old. These horses are breaking down on the track all the time and it’s always their front legs. Greed puts them on the track at 2 and 3 years old. The ones that have not broken down are very lucky. I was raised on thoroughbred horse racing. I love these horses so much starting with Man O’ War. I see footage or a photo of Secretariat and I melt. I’m so lucky I got to see him race at Santa Anita back in the day. He was spectacular never seen another horse that can compare. The last time I was at the track a two year old filly snapped both of her legs right in front of me as she was racing for the finish line. This was several years ago and I’m still traumatized over it. I’ve studied some European standards for racing and it’s quite an eye-opener. They have a certain respect.
It broke my Seeing the movie, it broke my heart. I love horses, Ruffin is my favorite racehorse I love race horses, and just broke my heart😭😭😭😭😭🪦🪦 Rest in peace Ruffin
I don’t think horses should race until they are at least 4 years old. I don’t care who argues or makes nasty comments. Horses should not race until they are physically ready.
Agreed. This is why many horse people say racing is abuse. They "start" these foals as yearlings and have them racing by the time they're 2- whether they actually are 2 years old or not.
I don't know how they do it now, but in the 70s, every horse turned a year older on January 1st, regardless of when they were actually born. Ruffian was born in April, so on Jan 1st, 1973, she was chronologically almost 9 months old. Some foals aren't born until September, so they're only 4 months old on Jan 1st.
Your opinions and I can live with that. But where do you measure the strength of her heart?
One major disagreement I have with you is you believe Ruffians wasn't qualified to run against Foolish Pleasure. (You didn't say it exactly with those words but that's what you were suggesting.)
Ruffian's competition? She won 8 Stakes Races and set Track Records for each of them. A front runner? Front runners can be caught. Not Ruffian. She was a beast!
Foolish Pleasure? His jockey was probably given instructions to take the lead from Ruffian in the back stretch and then set the pace for the remainder of the race. HE COULDN'T DO IT. RUFFIAN WOULD NOT LET HIM PASS. FOOLISH GAVE UP WITH THE IDEA AND FIGURED THAT'S NOT GOING TO WORK SO I'LL HAVE TO SEE IF WE CAN CATCH HER IN THE STRETCH. Sadly, we'll never know.
Pedigree? More quality involved than you suggested. Injuries? Every time the starting gate opens everyone keeps their fingers crossed, thus is the danger in horse racing. And, btw, I believe you'll find more horses who didn't accomplish a thing although the recipient of fine breeding vs horses of less popular breeding.
CLOSING COMMENT: Today is July6, 2024, and that fateful race took place July 7, 1975, 49 years ago TOMORROW. I saw the race and I cried and I still tear up every time I think of her and the race. 49 years ago and match races have become something to never consider doing again. Susan's comment below said it all.
Was Ruffian somehow related to Secretariet? I watched this live as a boy and was heart broken. Thanks for the video
Yes they were Secretariats sire Bold Ruler was Ruffians grand sire.
All race horses are related, even the quarter horses. Heck, even Morgan's were selective bred from thoroughbreds. This is clearly a big problem with the breed as the gene pool is shrinking and there is a ton of inbreeding.
I don’t know nothing about nothing of a horse’s physiology. I’ve been a fan of racing for nearly 60 years and Ruffian was BY FAR the best filly that I ever saw. She dominated her competition with multiple stakes record times. 6 furlongs in 1:08.3 at SAR. she was 2/5 to beat Foolish Pleasure.
How come when she was beating one mediocre filly after another no one questioned "her bloodline" . But 1st time she runs,against a very good Colt who was not letting her run away with the race, he was right off her shoulder, she breaks down and all of a sudden it was because of her bloodline.
I'm not saying that blaming the bloodline is right or wrong, and perhaps you mean it rhetorically. But like any tragedy, analysis comes after it has occurred. Stuff from the Challenger, to Princess Diana's death and etc.
I looked up her pedigree, it is very interesting, yet tragic.
THE LOWEST LOW OF THE SPORT
Native Dancer also was in the pedigree of Eight Belles…seriously people stop breeding bad lines
Native Dancer is in pretty much every horses lines today, either via Northern Dancer or Raise A Native>Mr Prospector.
The reality is the horses that have stronger muscles, later bones, are going from faster and then be bred to other horses like them. However, that combination is deadly, and is simple physics.....a super light race car with a hige powerful engine will go fast but be more prone to fall apart - while a heavy built truck with slow engine will last long but be slow. The way the sport is incentivized guarantees that there will be lots of breakdowns.
Wow never knew about her pedigree! Thats very sad and tragic...
Ruffian broke her leg because like all the thoroughbred race horses they are FORCED to carry weight and run way too young, and treated way too cruel. Guess these through red owners and trainers won't expect a 9 month old baby to be able to carry 120 pounds on their back and be able to run supper fast. It is the what the do to the race horses
Foolish comments!😂😂😂
THEY RACE aged 24+ months. Not 9.months.
Zero "cruelty": Horses are waaay better treated than humans!
U ever eat CHICKEN? BEEF? Go study those industries....
Back in the 1970s, a vet was working on artificial legs on horses. Yes, he cut off the leg on a healthy horse. But when his research was stopped he had a 2 legged station who could breed a mare. His work could have saved her and Barbaro
Look up the sire Spanish Riddle. You will be amazed at his story.
She broke down bc foolish pleasure was the fastest colt at that time, and ruffian was the fastest filly, by that they had to overwork themselves, and bc of all the pressure she would of just maybe broke down anyway, but the pigeon did fly in her face causing ruffian an unexpected scene and all the pressure ruffian had there the pigeon caused her to break down
I’m terrified to ride my own horse now. I wanted to make it to the top but after seeing her leg and how it Flug around her body. I can’t.
❤ Ruffian. I have a large painting of her.
It has more to do with the breeding & racing so young continuously in the same direction. Her rider said hitting the gate had nothing to do with it, nor did the competition. Horses don’t break down because of who they are racing against.
Poor ruffian😭
It was her genetics and her pedigree and her running style foolish pleasure is her cousin
If ruffian was injured before the race why did they race her?
The match race should have never happened, pure ego, man vs women, Ruffian was a great racehorse, a female Secretariat. Racing wasn't the same after that, to put ego and greed, RIP RUFFIAN
Me emociono a todo video que vejo, da maior egua de corridas de todos os tempos,RUFFIAN
Your analogy of Ruffian's breakdown is ridiculous.
But why didn’t foolish pleasure break down. He too is a front runner and has a very similar pedigree to ruffian. We all know that ruffian is the better horse because she died doing what she loved and did best and I don’t think FP would’ve stayed beside her
If you want my opinion I personally think Foolish Pleasure was way better equipped for this race. While he didn’t obliterate his opponents like Ruffian did it was because the horses he ran against were way tougher then anything Ruffian ever faced. He also was more often a stalker then a front runner even in the match race he sat comfortably right behind Ruffian a neck behind. He had both raced more and against tougher horses so he was likely sounder. Also he didn’t have any issues with his lead legs or banged his shoulder on the gate at the start.
I think she brokedown cuz when they started her she was 1,5 yo and she was already after races when she was 2 yo. It's too soon horses should be started when they are at least 3 yo or older. So probably her bones wasn't in the best shape or condition after that.
It was about Ruffian’s bloodline and bedigree. Her dam’s sire Native Damcer had really soft bones and was in bred horse. Her sire also had the same problem same as her sire’s sire Bold Ruler. He got many injuries in his career. It was just clearly bad genes that caused her bones to be weaker. She already suffered hair fracture at her back leg
@@tyyppip5984 Yeah but that fact that they started her too fast helped her bloodline tho
The native dancer line was known for champagne glass ankles. I watched this happen live. I was a kid. It broke my heart.
Colt speed broke her down
You're forgetting the main reason she Brooke down... She started with a hairline fracture...
It was a different leg
@@lu5423 it doesn't matter which leg if she overcompensated
Poor bone quality, caused by genetics. Blood will tell.
In addition Ruffian was on her Wrong lead in the strecth 90% of the time. This inself indicates soundness issues you addressed. Sound Horse are NOT constantly on their wrong lead.
And Yes Foolish Pleasue was by far the best she faced. Ruffian raced vs some pretty average females,
By comparison Zenyatta Face far Harder competition. She defeated the best boys in the world and Nearly did it a 2nd time beaten a nose by a male Blame who was life and death to hold off the late surge by Zenyatta. i saw them both and going a mile and 1/8th I take Ruffian. At a mile and 1/4 or more Zenyatta would have beat Ruffian 75% of the time.
Zenyatta would never have beaten a ruffian at 5 years old, she would be in another league
@@TheMsatru an opinion based on pure emotions why does that not surprise me ?
@@alivstyson1864 My opinion is based on the clock, you forget the race times. By the time Zenyatta started his final sprint, Ruffian would already be at the finish line. Nor does it seem correct to me to compare a 5-year-old mare with one that when she died was barely 3 years old
@@TheMsatru Oh Jezzz not knowing that Zenyatta was a her not him makes anything else you say devoid of crediability. Also Zenyatta had a faster mile and 1/4 time and if you project last quarters she was also faster at a mile and 1/2. You are entiteled to your MIS INFORMED opinion
Zenyatta was .500 vs open company and both fields were relatively weak for a classic - there were no Pharoah, Gun Runners, Arrogates, Chromes or Shared Beliefs in there. The best malea around her age, like Big Brown, were retired to stud as they were too valuable. Lookin At Lucky was not a 10F horse, a young there year old, and the race was on synthetic, which is the ultimate equalizer and like turf Ruffian atleast ran on dirt.
Anytime we have a female that is on par with the best males, they always get wildly over rated by the fans, like people saying Zenyatta was the best ever. The reality is she was a 110-115 type beyer horse, which a few of those are produced every year with the males, but very rarely with the females. Every few years a 115- 120 Beyer type comes around. More rare than that are the Flightline types that can push 125 Beyers. Zenyatta would get decimated by a horse like Flightline, Ghostzapper, prime Arrogate or Pharoah. Mike Smith was adamant that Arrogate was superior to Zenyatta. She was phenomenal for a female, but really only on par with the best males that come out every year, and very one dimensional - she was a synthetic, 10 furlong deep closer....couldn't sprints run on dirt, press or lead.
Poor ruffian...
If you look she was lame in the pen any good jockey would have got of then and call vet you could see she was going to brake her leg there before race even started if anyone was good in her team or gave a ? about her they would have stopped her before the race even started
racehorses use BOTH leads. At will.
I have the real movie and one in German RIP ruffian u did not deserve this she is better than secretariat best horse In the world
At least secretariat didn't break down. What was her biggest accomplishment? Secretariat's records still stand after 48 years also, he won by 31 lengths so simply stfu
@@makennabouillon2836 well its in my opinion dont take it seriously lol
@@spaz5138 Then don't take mine seriously. Im simply stating facts
Just thought I’d clarify a few things here! Secretariat definitely wouldn’t smash Ruffian. Could he win had they ran against each other? Yes, it’s very possible. However, same goes for Ruffian. Theres no way he’d be able to win by a large margin against her because there’s no way that Ruffian would give up to Secretariat. We never saw Ruffian being pushed, she was simply let loose in the stretch of all her races. Man O War, Slew and Enable probably would’ve been bigger challenges for Ruffian. It’s just a bit ridiculous how much Secretariat is overhyped.
Also, it’s best not to interact with “snowman’s biggest fan” They spam untruthful comments everywhere, and don’t ever take their comments seriously.
I think if the where more horses in the race she would have done better
Those owners and trainers killed her. This race was all about greed . Man vs woman. This race should have never been done. She was winning and then she was spooked and you can clearly see it in the recording. They should have had that track clear of any and all things . This was a murder on this beautiful horse. Her whole family had really bad issues with legs. It went far passed her sire and dam. Both sides of her bloodline are leg problems. They were over bred over raced drugged and just a disaster in the making and it is a shame that this beautiful horse paid the ultimate painful price all for human greed.
Her pedigree had leg issues sketchy. Duh
Reason number 5 was literally all about how her pedigree was plagued with leg issues. I don't really get what your point is.
You dont have a clue why she broke down sketchy
Everyone know why she broke down. It was her breeding. What do you think happens when you breed together two horses that has broken legs? You get Ruffian. She was glass bred.
I don't care for this video at all
Don't f*cking watch it then
2:09 This is the principle reason. Foolish Pleasure was a BAD ASS. A great colt who should've made gozillions in stud fees. Sadly he was unfairly blamed and stigmatized by the horse racing community for "killing" Ruffian so that never happened.
Fertility Issues.
Horse races start racing on the horses when they are still not old enough (2-3 uears old). At that time the horses joints and bones are not strong and ready for such a preasure from racing and simply break while runing. Keep in mind when her leg broke the operator called her a filly, wich means that she is still not a mare, not fully grown up, she was basicaly a child. No wonder her leg broke. Becouse racing should be banned in all counties. Many horses die from such injuries in racing idustry. This is not a rare ocasion.
A blanket statement like “ban horse racing everywhere” is simply not a good idea I get the intention but all that would do is displace millions of horses leading to a lot more of them dying. Currently horse deaths are at an all time low of 99.86% of flat racing starts not resulting in fatal injury. Or 1.39 fatal injuries per 1,000 starts.
What a joke ,you should spend some time working for a trainer so you can see what really goes on before you make a fool out of yourself , to late for that
Foolish pleasure would have never beaten ruffian if she did not have been bones and poor breeding ruffian was by far the superior horse and what everyone if not for thin bones in her bloodline that is the only thing you got right on your list of why ruffy and broke down she was far better than foolish pleasure that's why the jockey chose ruffian over bullish pleasure so let's not degrade the best because she had poor breeding
Race Film shows she was pulling away and was in front when she broke down. Knowing her racing history, I truly believe she would have beat Foolish Pleasure.
She tied or broke track records with every single race. Foolish Pleasure can't say that... well he's a horse so of course he can't "say that" but you get my drift...
I digress: Vasquez would've been holding her until the top of the stretch, and then let her loose.
Baeza (on Foolish Pleasure) had a bad history with Frank Whiteley. He rode Damascus in 1967 and lost against Dr. Fager, costing Damascus Horse of The Year. Baeza claimed Damascus was sore, Whiteley claims Baeza held the horse back so Dr. Fager could get HOTY.
Baeza knew early on in Ruffian's career he'd never be on a filly that could beat her, so during Ruffian's 2nd or 3rd race, (it was the race with My Girl, Laughing Bridge- with Baeza on board, Ruffian, and another horse- Copernica, maybe?) Baeza startled Ruffian mid-race in hopes she would wear herself out. His plan failed. Laughing Bridge ended up 3rd.
Breeding is what makes a horse. You can't discount that issue. Native Dancer lines are light-boned, not built for soundness.
very very dumb post in many many ways
I'm the owner of ruffian and I miss her so much r.i.p rest in peace beauty queen of the track I love you
That’s a lie , Ruffians owner David Ruffian died on June 1, 1991 he’s also dead meaning u lied, get the facts right please.
@@spaz5138 Shouting petty insults is not helping your case...
Fine but I'm her biggest fan no one knows her more than me RIP legand ok how about that idiots😡😡😡🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
@@spaz5138 Hey guess what. Secretariat would whoop her ass
@@makennabouillon2836 stop being mean to her if your gonna be mean to her go somewhere else and do it
If you think Ruffian didn't face good animals, how do you explain that she equaled or beat the records of the tracks she ran. How do you explain that she received whiplash in only one of the races, as a muscle strain was found. Judging by her voice, you must be very young to do this type of analysis, leave that to someone who saw her race sitting in the racetracks.
Equaled track record
Equaled own track record
New stakes record. One-fifth off track record
New stakes record
New stakes record
New stakes record
New stakes record
New stakes record
Tied stakes record
Did not finish
Equaled track record
Equaled own track record
New stakes record. One-fifth off track record
New stakes record
New stakes record
New stakes record
New stakes record
New stakes record
Tied stakes record
Did not finish