Espn Ruffian

Based on the story of the great filly who was undefeated until suffering a fatal breakdown in a match race against Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park in 1975. Only lasting two short seasons on the track, Ruffian was unbeaten through her first ten starts - shattering records at nearly every race. It was the much anticipated 11th race, on July 7, 1975 in front of a packed house at Belmont and a television audience of 18 million viewers, that proved to be her last. Hailed as the battle of the sexes, Ruffian went head-to-head with Kentucky Derby winning colt Foolish Pride, in what became the last match race in professional horse racing. Just short of the one mile marker, Ruffian went down hard with a broken leg, ultimately leaving doctors with no other option than to put the horse to sleep. The next day, she was buried at Belmont and to this day remains the only horse granted that honor. Academy Award nominee Sam Shepard stars in this extraordinary true story of the greatest filly racehorse of all time, Ruffian..

Director: Yves Simoneau
Actor: Sam Shepard
Actor: Frank Whaley
Actor: Nicholas Pryor
Actor: Christina Belford
Actor: Christine Belford
Actor: Mike Harding
Actor: Vladimir Diaz
Actor: Tyrone Shaw
Actor: Phil Devona