Ruffian trailer on ESPN broadcast
 

Am I the only one who got a little teary-eyed watching the trailer? I'm really looking forward to seeing the TV movie.

Nope, I did too... :o

It didnt move me but it looks better than I thought it would. :)

I really want to see it. But dang if I am not going to have to have a box of tissues next to me while I watch it.

Frank Whaley was glad he got to play Nack and not Davidowitz.

That's great about Bill Nack-- I always thought if they were going to do a movie about her they would need a major character outside her inner circle for the audience to identify with. Glad to hear they picked up on my psychic vibes... :)

A lot of the volunteers at the Central Park Zoo (where I work) remember her very well-- might be because she was a New York horse, I don't know, but they remember the match race. One of them started to cry just talking to me about it. So some people outside racing remember her. I hope they tune in to see the movie!

It is a great name for a race horse; I agree.

I can only get into trouble answering that one.

I saw a bunch of clips for the movie at a luncheon for it at Belmont last Spring. Should be fun. I think it is the first movie made by ESPN that will be shown on ABC.

I didn't see Davidowitz listed as a character in the film. Here's the full cast list, according to IMDB:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0499558/fullcredits

It was a joke.

It looked very good, but I'm scared to see it because I'm a big softie...

Oh. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.... ha?

Hee hee. My bad. ;)

I never said it was a funny one.

But your last response definitely is. Very quick; well done, sir. Me like funny posts.

This movie's end is a tragedy. Won't people look even more down on horse racing if they see this?

Depends how its delivered to non-racing fans. If the emphasis in on the majesty, talent, and brave heart of the filly, than it wont hurt as much. If the story is truly all about the build to the breakdown and no real story after that, then it fails to help the sport.

One quote i've always held with me is "Without pain there'd be no compassion". She's the equine eqivalent of that for me.

No I did too, seeing it rehashed all those awful memories again, I so clearly remember that nightmare! :(

Ruffian was bigger than life, I grew up in California and let me tell you her races were covered prominently in the sports pages out here, and in fact her death made the headline, and I'm talking in big black print. Ruffian was a VERY much loved horse, even the Surgical Hospital where my mare was having surgery has a big framed painting of her in the Waiting Room with a very moving tribute to her, and this is 30 plus years later.!

I think Balletto's right in that if it's handled right, I think it won't necessarily turn people off. I liked in the trailer how one of the actors was comparing Ruffian to James Dean, Marilyn Monroe-- silly on one level, yes, but on another level, it sets up an image of an incredible talent who burned so brightly but so briefly- which is a dramatic universality people can connect with. If they can convey that kind of idea-- an athlete who too rare and too special to last, I think it will convey the tragedy without turning into an opportunity for bashing horse racing.

My battered paperback copy of Jane Schwartz' book has a blurb from the Seattle Times' review: "Compelling, informative and ultimately touching. This is a first-class book; Ruffian deserves no less." Fingers crossed we'll be saying the same thing about the movie!