Starlet Series: Ruffian

Starlet Series
Number 2: Ruffian

Joseph Di Rienzi

This is the fifth of an occasional series on the careers of the six best female thoroughbred horses I have observed racing in the years 1959 to the present. I have chosen these females based on their performances in their respective races. This is my assessment alone and will undoubtedly differ with others’ opinions. This issue discusses the second ranked, star-crossed, Ruffian.

Bob Coglianese Photos Inc.

She began her storied career as spectacular as one could imagine. Debuting somewhat unheralded in a 5½ furlong maiden race at Belmont Park on May 22, 1974, Ruffian won her first start by 15 lengths equaling the track record. A nearly black daughter of Reviewer out of the mare Shenanigans by Native Dancer, Ruffian was a half-sister to the good racehorse Icecapade. Owned and bred by Barbara Phipps Janney and Stuart Janney Jr.’s Locust Hill Farm, Ruffian was breathtaking to watch both in motion and in repose. Tall and long, she seemed an animal set apart from her contemporaries. Trained by the “Fox of Laurel”, Frank Whiteley Jr., race goers whispered things about her ability that seemed other-worldly.

The Fashion Stakes, also at 5½ furlongs, was Ruffian’s next start in which she was meeting another impressive two year-old filly in Cragwood Stables’ one-eyed Copernica. This daughter of Nijinsky II had won her first two starts at Belmont very impressively, and, therefore, the Fashion Stakes attracted unusual interest to see how these two young horses would fare against each other. The race was no contest as Ruffian took the lead early, repelled Copernica’s challenge and coasted home by 6¾ lengths, once again equaling the track record. Ruffian then raced at Aqueduct in the 5½ furlong Astoria Stakes, winning by 9 lengths over Laughing Bridge with Our Dancing Girl third, 12 lengths back. Ruffian’s time was 1/5 of a second slower than Raise a Native’s track record set in 1963.

Ruffian next traveled to the Jersey Shore to run at Monmouth Park in the Sorority Stakes where she faced another undefeated filly in Dan Lasater’s Hot N Nasty. A daughter of Reflected Glory, Hot N Nasty, was perfect in three starts going into the Sorority having won Liberty Bell Park’s Schuylkill Stakes and the Hollywood Lassie Stakes at Hollywood Park, both by wide margins. In the Sorority, Ruffian, racing on the lead, was challenged by the much smaller Hot N Nasty, and, for a brief moment in the stretch, the outcome was in doubt. However, Ruffian responded to Jacinto Vasquez’s urging and drew clear to win by 2¼ lengths with the third place finisher, Stream Across some 22 lengths further back. The time of the race was a new stakes record. 

The 6 furlong Spinaway Stakes for two year-old fillies was run on the Friday of the closing day weekend at Saratoga Race Course. Ruffian ruled the overwhelming favorite in the four horse field. As her wont, Ruffian took the lead early and drew out at will finishing the race 12¾ lengths in front of Laughing Bridge with Scottish Melody another 1¼ length back in third. The time, a new stakes record was 3/5 of a second slower than the track record for the distance. In training for the Frizette Stakes at Belmont Park, Ruffian had to be withdrawn due to what was determined to be a hairline fracture of a hind leg.

Despite missing the key fall races, Ruffian was named 1974 Champion Two Year-old Filly. Ruffian’s perfect 5 for 5 record as a juvenile was surpassed by her two Year-old champion male counterpart, Foolish Pleasure. He was an average sized but well conformed bay son of What a Pleasure out of the Tom Fool mare, Fool-Me-Not. Bred in Florida, Foolish Pleasure was owned by John L. Greer and trained by LeRoy Jolley. He had won all 7 of his juvenile starts, albeit not as spectacularly as Ruffian accomplished. The two champions shared common ancestry as both were paternal grandchildren of Bold Ruler. Their mutual dominance of their respective genders created speculation as to who was better. Tragically, the issue would be decided on a racetrack in 1975 to the anguish of everyone involved.

There were no plans to point Ruffian towards the three year-old classics. When she recovered from her injury, she was sent to New York in the early spring to prepare for the New York Filly Triple Tiara series. Foolish Pleasure went through the Triple Crown series winning the Kentucky Derby and finishing second in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

In mid-April, Ruffian made her much anticipated sophomore debut in a 6 furlong allowance at Aqueduct Racetrack. Under Jacinto Vasquez, she ran as she had in all her other races - brilliantly fast, winning easily by 4¾ lengths. Ruffian next appeared in the 7 furlong Comely Stakes, winning by 7¾ lengths. The time was a new stakes record and over a second faster than four year-old stakes winner Hatchet Man’s win in an allowance race on the same card.   

Ruffian was next entered in the 1 mile Acorn Stakes at Aqueduct. Also, initially in the field was Sarsar owned by Claiborne Farm and William Haggin Perry and trained by David Whiteley (Frank’s son). The daughter of Damascus was the best three year-old filly to race at the winter meet at Santa Anita Park. When it was clear Ruffian would run in the Acorn, David Whiteley scratched Sarsar. As usual, Ruffian made a shambles of the field winning by 8¼ lengths in stakes record time over Somethingregal, who was a nose ahead of Gallant Trial. Giving testimony to the awe that was attached to Ruffian, the connections of Sarsar, seeking an easier race, entered her against male horses in the 1 mile Withers Stakes. Showing her class, Sarsar rallied off the pace to win by 2 lengths over stakes quality males. In doing so, Sarsar became only the second filly in a 100 years to win the time honored Withers.

One week before the Belmont Stakes, Ruffian ran in the Mother Goose Stakes and carried her speed and brilliance 9 furlongs to win by 13 lengths in another stakes record time defeating Sweet Old Girl who finished two lengths ahead of Kentucky Oaks heroine Sun and Snow. Remaining with her gender, Ruffian next sought to complete the Triple Tiara in the 1½ mile Coaching Club American Oaks. The distance seemed to be the only obstacle as there was a question if she was “too speedy” to manage the marathon distance. There was also an interesting rival in King Ranch’s Equal Change, who had just won two allowance races in New York by a total of about 25 lengths. Equal Change’s pedigree, being a daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Arts and Letters from the female family of Triple Crown winner Assault, gave every indication she would relish the CCA Oaks’ distance.

Fears of Ruffian being too rank in the early running were unfounded as she set a moderate pace. When Equal Change and Let Me Linger challenged Ruffian at the ½ mile pole, Jacinto Vasquez let her run a little to keep a safe distance, and she maintained that margin to win comfortably by 2¾ lengths over a game Equal Change with Let Me Linger, 9 lengths further away in third. Ruffian’s final time in the CCA Oaks, in which she ran the last ¼ mile faster than the first ¼ mile, was also slightly faster than Avatar’s win in the Belmont Stakes two weeks earlier. Having run out of female competition, there was a groundswell that Ruffian should face the top male three year-olds next, and proposals were initiated to stage a special race to bring these horses together.

Attempts to bring the winners of the three classic races (Foolish Pleasure, Master Derby and Avatar) together to face Ruffian dissolved into a match race between the filly and Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park at 1¼ mile on the weekend after Independence Day. It was a race that never should have happened. In an effort to boost attendance, the New York Racing Association persuaded Stuart Janney Jr., co-owner of Ruffian, to race her in this “exhibition” through his brother-in-law, Ogden Phipps, an influential member of the NYRA. However, there were plenty of opportunities on the racing calendar, such as the Travers Stakes and the Marlboro Cup Handicap for Ruffian to face the best male horses. There were also some bad feelings going into the race. Jacinto Vazquez, who was the regular rider for both Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure, chose to ride the filly. LeRoy Jolley, somewhat miffed, picked Braulio Baeza as his jockey who had something of a grudge against Ruffian’s trainer, Frank Whiteley Jr.

At the start, Ruffian, on the inside, broke at little slow but was rushed up to contest the lead. Baeza, knowing that almost all match races are won on the front end, rode Foolish Pleasure very aggressively squeezing his rival toward the rail and pressuring Ruffian to run faster than she would normally have at this early stage of the race. It was over in an instant down the backstretch when Ruffian shattered her right front ankle. The sound was so audible that Baeza on Foolish Pleasure heard it. The sight of Foolish Pleasure galloping solely to the wire is seared in the memory of the race. A remark in the winner’s circle by LeRoy Jolley alluding to thoroughbred racing as a blood sport seemed tasteless and would stigmatize his future career.

Efforts to save Ruffian were desperate but heroic. She had surgery soon after the injury, but regaining consciousness after the procedure, Ruffian trashed so violently that she had to be euthanized.  Her owners, Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Janney Jr., consented to have Ruffian buried in the infield of Belmont Park where she rests there still. Of all the horse related events I have witnessed in my years of observing thoroughbred racing, this tragedy was by far the worst and certainly cast a pall on the sport for some time after.

What served as little consolation for the loss, Ruffian was awarded, posthumously, an Eclipse Award as 1975 Champion Three Year-old Filly. A better tribute is that some 44 years later, the memories of this “black beauty” racing with all her speed, brilliance and heart remain etched in the mind.