the ruffian match race

[videogirl10]

the topic about the fastest filly made me start thinking about the match race. if ruffian hadn't broken down, who do you think would have won? i have always thought that ruffian would win, but i am not that all educated about foolish pleasure, so i would like others input..also if you want to see a great tribute to ruffian from utube the link is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGFswkcfqaA

[todko]

Originally Posted by videogirl10

the topic about the fastest filly made me start thinking about the match race. if ruffian hadn't broken down, who do you think would have won? i have always thought that ruffian would win, but i am not that all educated about foolish pleasure, so i would like others input..also if you want to see a great tribute to ruffian from utube the link is...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGFswkcfqaA

The match race was a sad event spawned by the male hating vogue of that time. Billie Jean King had just beaten a male senior citizen (Bobby Riggs) in tennis, Gloria Steinem had forsaken her Playboy Bunny outfit and became a bona fide man hater, and there were numerous other "let's see the woman beat the man" events.

Horse racing, not to be left on the backstretch so to speak, came up with the Ruffian vs. Foolish Pleasure grudge match. It was "foolish" and there was no "pleasure" in it. On national TV and on track a huge crowd looked forward to the fantastic female beating the evil male.

The Chinese have an old motto -- "When you're setting out on revenge dig two graves". Which means dig one grave for yourself also along with the one you plan for your victim. They dug Ruffian's grave that following Monday.

It's a shame she became a victim of the "let's hate men" mob mentality of the '70s. She deserved better than to die because men and women couldn't get along.

I was always told Foolish Pleasure would have won although the lore of Ruffian is so great, that in my heart of hearts, I like to declare her the winner IF...

To me, there was never a more blantantly disgusting moment in racing then the quote made by the father of LeRoy Jolly, the trainer of Foolish Pleasure... "We threw a fast quarter at the bitch and she broke down"

[blackthroatedwind]

I loved Ruffian but she was in trouble in that race if she stayed sound.

Granted the track was as fast as I've ever seen it, but Foolish Pleasure galloped out in 2:02 and change, and also worked 56 and a small piece shortly before the race. All things considered he would probably have won.

As 2YOs she would have blown him off the racetrack however.

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I loved Ruffian but she was in trouble in that race if she stayed sound.

Granted the track was as fast as I've ever seen it, but Foolish Pleasure galloped out in 2:02 and change, and also worked 56 and a small piece shortly before the race. All things considered he would probably have won.

As 2YOs she would have blown him off the racetrack however.

My dad has always told me the same thing, "Ruffian was a gift from God, but she wasnt going to beat Foolish Pleasure". I still ignore the probable facts and romanticize the story. She deserves at least that.

[blackthroatedwind]

Ruffian was honestly my first personal racetrack memory. I started to go to Saratoga every day the last week of 1974 and I had read about Ruffian and watched her from the rail at the finish line in that Spinaway.

Foolish Pleasure won the Hopeful the next day....I only knew that when I was watching the Triple Crown preps.

Here's a trivia question.....name the horse Chic Anderson mistakenly called winning the Derby late in the race as Foolish Pleasure was cruising to victory.