In Memory of Ruffian

Pete · Postby **Pete** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 7:18 pm

Hi Slowpony,

If you get to Belmont early in the morning you might be able to put some flowers on her grave. There's an opening for horses to get onto the track and though there's a guard (most times) they aren't always there and they might even let you do it just before the close the track for the morning break.

Ruffian remains the only horse that I have no objectivity about nor ever will. I was there for 9 of her 11 races including the last. It seems that she remains an emotional topic for us all.

Regards,

Pete

fernhollow · Postby **fernhollow** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:16 pm

Could someone please post a picture of her? Thank you.

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:17 pm

I just wish that Ruffian's death had encouraged more research into safe anesthesia for horses.

Pan Zareta · Postby **Pan Zareta** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:34 pm

fernhollow wrote:Could someone please post a picture of her? Thank you.

The incomparable Ruffian w/ Vince Bracciale up - taken after the Spinaway or the Astoria.

fernhollow · Postby **fernhollow** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:16 pm

Thank you again. How tall was she?

BJ · Postby BJ » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:34 pm

O.K., you're all gonna make me dig out my favorite quote about that fateful, tragic day...

It's from a July 6, 1991 article by Jack Mann, for The Thoroughbred Racing Times (later bought out by DRF).

It was entitled, The Long, Long Night of Ruffian's Last Race

The last three paragraphs of the article are as follows:

"Whiteley didn't like anything about the idea and Janney didn't like it much. But the owner told the trainer he didn't see any way out of it. The date was set for July 6, a Sunday, to give it prime time. Ruffian scared the hell out of CBS by winning the Coaching Club American Oaks by "only" 2 3/4 lengths on June 21.

But she won and stayed unbeaten for the Great Match. From a point of view she's still unbeaten. John Esposito had kept his bar open, up the street from Doc Reed's hospital, as a press center for the four reporters who remained when the deed was done.

Bob Creamer was the editor who took the call at Sports Illustrated at 3 o'clock in the morning. Creamer, who has written books called Babe and Casey, knows something about greatness. He asked the reporter only one question.

Yes, he was told. She was on the lead." [when she broke down]

To this day...I cannot read that allowed to anyone without choking back tears. Ruffian represents to women, what we all strive to be in our hearts.

BJ · Postby BJ » Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:41 pm

fernhollow wrote:Thank you again. How tall was she?

They say she was just shy of 17 hands

Pan Zareta · Postby **Pan Zareta** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:19 pm

fernhollow wrote:Thank you again. How tall was she?

16h 2", as measured 6/25/75

fernhollow · Postby **fernhollow** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:21 pm

How was her name chosen and what was she like (personality) as a foal and on up to two years?

Did she always have to be out in the lead...even as a weanling?

Pete · Postby **Pete** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:33 pm

Hi Pan,

The press called her 17 hands or over on many occassions. She was compared in size to Forego and though she was big I'd think 16.2 was close.

Do you know who measured her?

Fern,

Ruffian was just faster than the other fillies and she was born into a strong crop. I don't know that she needed the lead she simply did what she wanted.

Pete

Pan Zareta · Postby **Pan Zareta** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:35 pm

fernhollow wrote:How was her name chosen and what was she like (personality) as a foal and on up to two years?

Did she always have to be out in the lead...even as a weanling?

The Janneys had the name Ruffian reserved, I think for a colt by Rollicking, maybe(?), but decided to use it for the the big Shenanigans filly instead. Her size & strength & appetite were definitely noted as a weanling. She was much easier to train than her older half-brother Icecapade.

Pan Zareta · Postby **Pan Zareta** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:38 pm

Pete wrote:Hi Pan,

The press called her 17 hands or over on many occassions. She was compared in size to Forego and though she was big I'd think 16.2 was close.

Do you know who measured her?

Staff at Belmont, under the close scrutiny of her connections, I believe - both of the match race contestants were officially weighed & measured that day. The only quantifiable dimension in which Foolish Pleasure exceeded her was shoe size.

(Does your kitty have different color eyes?)

Pete · Postby **Pete** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:07 pm

Hi Pan,

No, Pearl has golden emerald eyes - both about the same intensity and colour. I should introduce her better because she fits this thread.

She's an American Bobtail, mother of two small litters (before I got her). Her tail goes up an inch and then makes a right turn for about 3/4" (a flaw that 'ruins' her as a breeding cat).

She's perhaps 8lbs, grey and white tabby markings. She has all her claws. Her face is properly flattened as I am told an American Bobtail should be. Her fur is as soft as feathers.

She's got a lot of heart - like Ruffian and speed when she needs it. When my wife calls her - she comes a-running.

Consistently courteous and kind, except to my tortoise shell imbecile of a cat (and it's impossible to be kind to her), Pearl's the cat's meow.

Regards,

Pete

rascal · Postby **rascal** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:10 am

You mean that the anesthesia they used was what really killed Ruffian? Her leg looked very bad. So very sad. I try to forget that day, but never will. Just think of the foals she could have had, too...such a waste... :cry:

BJ · Postby BJ » Wed Jul 13, 2005 6:24 am

rascal wrote:You mean that the anesthesia they used was what really killed Ruffian? Her leg looked very bad. So very sad. I try to forget that day, but never will. Just think of the foals she could have had, too...such a waste...

No...according to what I read, she'd been in surgery for several hours to repair really irreparably shattered sesmoids that she continued running on (because Vasquez couldn't get her pulled up... she wanted to be in front so badly). She was sweating and breathing heavily, even under anethsesia. When several doctors were done making a special cast and shoe for what was left of her foot, she started to come out of the anesthesia and began thrashing about. The term "tossing them off like so many rag dolls" was used in the article I read. (at least 3 Vets and 2 or 3 others; her trainer Frank Whiteley was one of them there to try to hold her down and keep her from hurting herself again.) But in doing so, she destroyed the cast and it was agreed that another 2-3 hours of surgery/anesthesia to replace the cast and again put the foot back in place, would kill her anyway.

They say, in the end, what made her so great...her will, her heart, her strength, was what killed her. That's the romantic way of looking at it. IMO, what killed her was egos and greed and her connections not possessing her will, heart and strength to just walk away from the hype to promote a match race. It would have been one thing to run her in a race against the colts. It is entirely another thing to have a two horse match race against another speed horse who was the best colt around at that time. It was just pure male ego that killed Ruffian.

Some might argue that a better anesthetic might have allowed her to undergo a second surgery, but I think Ruffian wouldn't tolerate not being able to be Ruffian and that is why they couldn't save her. She was in shock, pain and distress, she had a very heavy (50lb) cast on her leg, which was constructed by a committee of several Vets, and NO HORSE can be saved IF the horse cannot or will not stand on only 3 legs and be willing to nurse themselves through the healing process.

As for the desrepancy in height of 16.2 v 17h, I'd say that when she was up on her toes, making herself "large", as all champions do, she was every bit of 17h and then some!