“Ruffian never got beat. And every time she ran, she set a track record or equaled a track record.” – Jacinto Vasquez.
Ruffian, (April 17, 1972 – July 7, 1975), the fourth Filly Triple Crown winner, 1974 Champion two year old filly, 1975 champion three year old filly. She won at distances of less than six furlongs (three quarters of a mile) to twelve furlongs (a mile and a half). She was never worse than first at any point in any race.
When her elderly owners were asked why she was given the name Ruffian – a name they’d originally reserved for a colt, Mrs. Janney responded “girls can be ruffians too, you know!”
The trainer of the great Secretariat, who many (not me) believe to be the greatest racehorse of all time, even said “as God as my witness, she may even be better than Secretariat.” Usually it was said that a filly who was beating other females had to face the boys before she could be completely considered a great horse. Ruffian was so good that Bloodhorse said “Until these colts are measured against Ruffian, none of them has much of a claim on the title of 3-year-old champion. Right now we do not believe that even to escape a swarm of Brazil’s hybrid African honeybees any of these could catch up with the Stuart Janneys’ big filly.” Her last race was on July 6th, 1975, was a match race against that year’s Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure. Her jockey, Jacinto Vasquez, was the regular rider for both, and he chose to ride Ruffian in the race. She was on the lead when her leg broke in two places. Vasquez tried to pull her up, but she couldn’t bear the sight of another horse in front of her and fought him, further damaging her leg, desperate to finish the race. They got her to an equine hospital where the best vets worked to fix her leg. Surgery was successful, but as she was waking up from the anesthetic in a padded recovery room, she began thrashing; some believe that due to her competitive nature and in her drowsy, confused state, Ruffian believed she was still running the race and had to beat Foolish Pleasure to the finish line.
After hearing the report from the vets, her owner said, “please, don’t let her suffer anymore” and they put her to sleep. She kept “running” until the drug took effect. She was buried at Belmont Park, the home of her first – and last – race. Before the 1975 “Great Match Race”, match races between horses were common. Four Triple Crown winners (Sir Barton raced Man o’ War, War Admiral raced Seabiscuit, Whirlaway raced Alsab, and Assault raced Armed) ran in match races. The match between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure was in 1975. There has not been one on U.S. soil since.
“Ruffian never got beat. And every time she ran, she set a track record or equaled a track record.” – Jacinto Vasquez. Ruffian, (April 17, 1972 – July 7, 1975),
