Who is Ruffian?

A dark bay, almost coal black filly, Ruffian's story holds special meaning to me.

She was unbeatable. Nothing could get close enough to even nibble on her saddle cloth. Her eleventh and final race, run at Belmont Parkon July 6, 1975 was a match race between Ruffian and that year's Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. What is interesting about Foolish Pleasure and Ruffian, was that they shared the same jockey. He chose to ride Ruffian in the match race, believing her to be the better of the two horses.

Shortly into the race, Ruffian was in front by half a length when both sesmoid bones in her right foreleg snapped. Her jockey tried to pull her up, but she ran on for another 50 yards, apparently unwilling to give up the race.

She was known for her incredible love of running and unwillingness to lose.

Ruffian underwent an emergency operation lasting 12 hours. Tragically, when the anesthesia wore off after the surgery, she thrashed about wildly on the floor of a padded recovery stall as if still running in the race. Despite the efforts of numerous attendants, she broke the cast and another leg. The medical team, knowing that she would probably not survive more extensive surgery for the repair of two legs, euthanized her shortly afterwards.

Sports Illustrated included her as the only non-human on their list of the top 100 female athletes of the century, ranking her 53rd.

I watched that race on television when I was a horse-possessed pre-teen. I'll never forget it. I'll never forget yelling "Run Ruffian!" with fists clenched as she ran. When she went down, even while I awaited the news of her condition, I still whispered "Run Ruffian!" under my breath, as if she might hear me and keep going.

Maybe she did; because she is still in my heart.

"RUN RUFFIAN!"