"Hey, Mike, let's get his teeth checked." "He's dropping too much grain here." "Sure thing, Mr. Whiteley." "Dan." "Morning, Mr. Whiteley." "Big day today." "What's today?" "Yearlings coming down from Claiborne." "Oh." "Ha." "Is that today?" "You got your eye on something special?" "Got my eye on you." "Now quit talking and get these horses fed." "Horse racing is a lot of things... a sport, a business, a spectacle." "The track's a place for hopeful beginning, triumph, sometimes heartbreak, and always at the center of it all are the horses." "Chico, Jim, sort these bay horses out, would you?" "Sure thing, Mr. Whiteley." "Damn, that's some big baby." "It's the Reviewer filly out of Shenanigans." "Now, she's a queen." "Well, don't forget, Man O' War's half-brother pulled a milk cart." "Bet she got a lot of muscle under that baby fat." "It ain't muscle yet." "She's got some class." "You never know till they run." "Ruffian." "She was built like a watch, a study in balance." "A big, tall, full-bodied filly with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by da Vinci." "Five months later, Frank Whiteley took his filly north to Belmont." "All right." "Give me 3/8." "Keep her under wraps." "I want a slow 3/8, all right?" "All right." "Don't push her." "OK." "It was a new world for the young horse." "New sounds, new sights, especially that great mile-and-a-half oval of a track." "You pinhead." "He's not gonna be happy." "Man." "How fast do you think you were going, Jacinto?" "37. 37." "How about 34 and change?" "You call that slow?" "I told you to go slow." "There's no way." "I would have felt - 34 and change!" "You better fix that clock, 'cause there's no way." "I'm gonna fix your clock!" "What'd you say?" "I heard that." "She's some kind of racehorse." "She ain't raced nobody yet." "Race or not, I love that horse." "You never fall in love with one." "Gas prices may be falling as..." "OK, give me a year." "Not again." "Come on, come on." "Give me the year, and I'll give you the winner." "Let's go. 1876." "1800 and 76, hmm?" "Taking me back." "Let's see." "Would that be..." "Vagrant?" "Wait." "What is this game?" "No, don't encourage him, please." "Give me the year, any year, from the beginning of time, and I will tell you who won the Kentucky Derby." "1955." "That was the year my boyhood hero Swaps won the race." "Would you mind not cluttering my bar with your stuff?" "Uh, this stuff, to which you so delicately refer, happens to be my book, sir, and it is dedicated to the greatest horse ever to set four hooves on a racetrack - Secretariat." "Well, I got a race to cover." "You don't seem so excited about that." "I've seen the greatest, OK?" "Wrote a book about him." "So we've heard." "What do I owe you?" "Five bucks." "I don't suppose you'd accept a book as payment?" "It was the start of another racing season, a time of high expectations." "I would swing past Frank Whiteley's barn because he always had a live wire or two in his shed." "She's doing good." "Hey, Puerto Rican." "Yes, sir?" "You got your boots on tight?" "Yes, sir." "Hey, Squeaky." "Hey." "It's that famous reporter." "Oh, it must be Tuesday." "How's the old man?" "Good mood or bad mood today?" "Now, look, all she's gonna want to do is flat-out run." "Mm-hmm." "So let her have the lead and take a snug hold on her and no stick." "Snug hold." "All right, Mr. Whiteley." "Jacinto." "¿Qué pasa?" "Ha-ha." "Morning, Frank." "It's "Mr. Whiteley,"" "and the Puerto Rican understands English." "Ha." "That's commendable, seeing as how this particular Puerto Rican hails from Panama." "Bill, I told him a million times, but you think he believes it?" "Panama's a ditch, isn't it?" "What do you got for me today, Frank?" "Goose eggs." "I was over at barn 10." "Guys over there like a filly in the third hole by the name of Suzest." "Is that right?" "Well, maybe you ought to hang around barn 10, 'cause all we've got here is a bunch of cheap crows, right, boys?" "Right." "Yes, sir." "Jacinto?" "Yeah, just a bunch of cheap crows." "Well, thanks for all the information." "Good luck to you." "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Belmont Park." "The track is fast." "The turf course is firm." "All right." "Weak crowd, isn't it?" "Mm-hmm." "Don't fall off." "24 and change at the quarter pole..." "Mets are getting bigger crowds for batting practice." "Well, it's hard for a real racetrack to compete with the beauty of your off-track betting parlor, huh?" "So, who do you like?" "Suzest." "She's a cinch." "Suzest, huh?" "Sure about that?" "Holy crap." "Who the hell is she?" "That is one of Frank's cheap crows." "Well, where's he been hiding her?" "The Old Fox of Laurel strikes again." "That, my friend, is Ruffian." "Ruffian." "Sir." "Ma'am." "She doesn't seem bothered by the crowd." "Well, so far so good." "You tell Jacinto anything?" ""Don't fall off."" "What do you think?" "Well, I think we're about to find out whether she's more than just a morning glory." "The horses have reached the starting gate." "The fillies are at the post, 10 of them ready to go 51/2 furlongs here on the main track at Belmont Park, all of them maidens." "None of them have won a race so far." "Let's see who emerges as a winner this afternoon." "They're all in line, and the flag is up." "And they're off." "Come on, Ruffian." "On the extreme outside, there goes Ruffian, charging up to take command early and quickly." "Ruffian scoots to the inside rail, showing some quick early speed." "Come on, Ruffian!" "As they move around the far turn..." "Ruffian has moved to the rail and is in front by 8 lengths..." "Did you see that?" "Oh, isn't that amazing?" "Ohh." "It's Ruffian, drawing clear now by 10." "She's drawing away!" "Come on!" "...Suzest in second, but not closing in." "Garden Quad races third as they turn for home." "Uh, we have to double-check it." "And down the stretch they come!" "And it's Ruffian, and she's all alone!" "It's Ruffian in front by 12, by 15 lengths." "She did it!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" "The winner by 15 lengths with the time of 1:03." "Well, looks like we might have a good one." "That equals the track record for Belmont Park's 51/2 furlongs by a filly or a colt!" "What a performance!" "First-time starter Ruffian to the winner's circle." "Congratulations, Frank." "Never even broke a sweat." "How 'bout our girl?" "Oh!" "Good job, Jacinto." "Thank you." "Looks like you've got yourself a racehorse, Aunt Barbara." "Well, that's my girl." "Good work, Frank." "That's the kind of performance that'll bring people back to the track." "Mrs. Janney, Mr. Chairman?" "This way, please." "Thank you." "Hey, Puerto Rican!" "I tried to hold her back." "Don't lie to me." "We won by 15 lengths." "That's a track record." "I told you, no stick." "I don't care about track records." "I want the win, and I want her sound to come back and win again." "Now, if you pull that again on me," "I'm gonna have to find another rider, you understand?" "I hear you." "Dios mío..." "What'd you say?" "A prayer!" "You're gonna need it." "What do you say, Frank?" "Got any other cheap crows like that one out in the barn?" "I sure hope not." "Scare the hell out of me if I did." "I appreciate all you boys coming out here today." "In case you're wondering, there's two reasons that my filly here is called Hot N Nasty." "The first one is, is she is hot." "She smoked the favorite in her last race by 21/2 lengths, and she is downright nasty." "My filly's got a perfect record - 3 and zip." "So does Ruffian." "Ruffian's a decent horse, I'll give you that." "But, uh, Hot N Nasty come here to win the Sorority Stakes." "Were you happy with her workout this morning?" "If she was doing any better, I couldn't stand it, and the law wouldn't allow it." "I'd have to slap my grandma." "You're pretty confident." "Hey, you bet I am." "In fact, I'll show you how confident I am." "Hey, Roscoe and Jack, bring that over here." "Hey, wow." "All right." "I'm gonna invite all y'all back here after the race for a victory toast." "I went out and bought up all this high-dollar bubbly here 'cause I know how you newshounds like to souse it up." "Come on back after the race." "We'll do it up right." "All right." "Down the backstretch, it's Ruffian in front..." "Come on." "Do it for Daddy." "Come on." "As they move into the far turn, it's Ruffian on the inside by a head," "Hot N Nasty is second." "Head and head, stride for stride!" "It's a two-horse race as the field turns for home." "Come on, hang in there!" "It's Ruffian and Hot N Nasty!" "They're head and head inside the eighth pole!" "Ruffian on the inside." "Hot N Nasty's on the outside and trying to get by her." "Show her what you got!" "Ruffian, Hot N Nasty." "Ruffian opens up a length." "Come on!" "Hang in there!" "Come on, baby!" "Come on!" "It's Ruffian!" "Hey!" "Oh, man!" "...record in the Sorority... 1:09 flat!" "Ruffian!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" "She had a tough time out there." "Oh, give me a break, Nack." "I mean, the filly just set a new stakes record." "She almost got beat." "It was life or death at the eighth pole." "All right, walk her to me." "Now away." "Something's wrong with her." "I'm worried because she didn't run her race out there today." "Never switch her leads, never." "Yeah, she's popped a little cold splint." "She'll be fine." "I'll give her some time off." "By the time she gets to Saratoga, she'll be 100%." "Mr. Whiteley?" "Mr. Lasater says we're the ones that should have this." "Well, you tell Mr. Lasater thank you very much." "We sure appreciate it." "Aren't you gonna pop the cork?" "I ain't much of a drinker." "You help yourself." "Come here." "I'm not sure I deserve it." "I had my doubts about her mid-stretch." "Well, you're in the opinion business, not me." "Hey." "Hey." "She was a little off today." "Heh." "Is that right?" "Heck of a fast time." "Ever spend any time away from your horses?" "No need to." "Good company." "Well, believe it or not," "I used to be a groom." "Is that right?" "Growing up in Chicago, all the other kids worshiped Ernie Banks." "My hero was Swaps." "Yeah, for a California horse, he was all right." "I'll never forget the day he lost to Nashua." "Oh." "I was heartbroken." "Swaps didn't lose to Nashua, he lost to Arcaro." "Shoemaker got outfoxed that day." "No damn match race ever proved a thing." "Hmm." "That's what people want to see, right?" "Two horses going at it, one on one?" "The only way to win is fly out of the gate, flat-out sprint for a mile and a quarter." "All speed, no pace." "How do you get a horse happy like that?" "Fuss with them, rub on them a little." "You gonna let her fuss with the colts?" "She's a perfect 4-0." "4 races, 4 records." "I mean... running with the fillies doesn't seem like much of a challenge to her anymore." "I'll tell you what." "I'll make you a little deal." "You stick to the writing part of it, and I'll do the horse training, OK?" "Fair enough?" "Fair enough." "Ha-ha-ha." "Just one last thing, Frank." "Is there a horse out there that can run with her?" "As it turned out, there was another challenger out there, another horse with a perfect record." "Not a filly, a colt." "His name was Foolish Pleasure." "He looked like an outside linebacker... quick and athletic with muscles in his eyebrows." "He was shaping up as the best two-year-old colt in the country." "Besides being undefeated, he had something else in common with Ruffian... he had the same jockey." "Frank felt it was too early for Ruffian to take on the colt." "His plan was to establish her as the best filly in the country." "A good place to do that was Saratoga, a bright stage where people came to spot future contenders for the Triple Crown." "Ruffian, at 4-0, was beginning to attract her own fans, especially among the ladies." "Hey, Puerto Rican." "You know, if you weren't such a fool, you'd be wearing our colors today." "Yeah, but I appealed the suspension for the rough riding..." "Save your breath, Puerto Rican." "Hey, come on." "Some jock boxes me in, what am I..." "I don't need your damn excuses." "This filly wants to have the same rider on her back every time she goes." "Now, if you can't ride safe and stay out of trouble, you're not gonna get on her back, you understand?" "All right." "Hey, Vincente, three things... don't get her hurt, don't use the stick and don't get her beat." "Yes, sir." "Huh." "Hey, amigo." "Don't you have a stall to muck out, Baeza?" "Ha-ha." "You should have put me on your filly." "I put you on Damascus six years ago." "It was the mistake of my life." "That horse was sore." "Aw, bull." "You stiffed him so your regular mount could get Horse of the Year." "Dr. Fager was a better horse, and you know it." "You held my horse, Baeza." "Get out of here." "You don't scare me." "Her, neither." "Today she gets beat." "Adios." "Well, nice day for a race." "Yes." "Well, they're at the gate for the 6-furlong Spinaway here at Saratoga, a field of four." "The favorite, 1-5 Ruffian, looking for her fifth straight victory, and she is undefeated." "Vince Bracciale Jr." "rides this afternoon." "Second choice is Laughing Bridge, 3-1, with Braulio Baeza." "You see?" "People love her." "Yeah, OK, OK." "Let's see how she runs." "All in line, ready for the start." "And they're off in the Spinaway." "Good break, Vince." "And Ruffian quickly takes command," "Scottish Melody into the second spot," "Laughing Bridge is now racing third." "They move to the top of the stretch..." "Wait and it's Ruffian now in command by 2, by 3 lengths." "Go, girl, go!" "Come on!" "Go, go, go!" "Not yet, Vince." "They move past the half-mile pole, heading to the far turn." "Go!" "Go!" "Whoo!" "Now!" "A quick burst of speed as Ruffian draws away to lead by 8 lengths." "A magnificent performance!" "Go!" "Yeah!" "Go!" "Ha-ha-ha!" "Look at that!" "It's over!" "Ruffian, under the wire to win it by... by 13 lengths!" "The time - 1:083/5... a new stakes record for the Spinaway!" "Ha-ha-ha-ha!" "Do you see that?" "That's another track record." "What you got to say now, huh?" "I'm speechless." "Of course you are!" "He didn't even step on the gas." "Nobody even knows how much that filly can run." "Faster than any two-year-old has ever run 6 furlongs on this track, filly or colt, including Secretariat." "She beat them all." "She's in a class all by herself." "She's up there with the great ones." "What are the odds, Mr. Whiteley?" "26,000 foals registered every year, and here, God sends us this one." "Well... even a blind hog can find an acorn now and then, huh, Dan?" "They called him "The Fox of Laurel"..." "Here, you take her." "...that for his ability to keep one eye on his horse and the other eye on the competition." "Down the stretch they come in the Hopeful, and it is Foolish Pleasure taking command!" "Foolish Pleasure, the tough undefeated colt, had his own race - colts only." "Thataboy." "Here's the wire." "Foolish Pleasure wins the Hopeful by almost 4 lengths and remains undefeated." "I told you you should have bet." "All right!" "He won, he won!" "LeRoy, that's six for six." "Who's counting?" "Well, how do you think that compares against Ruffian's win yesterday?" "Fellas, the only way to compare the two is to let them run together." "Just like my daddy said, we can only beat the horses that are willing to run against us." "Hey, but you ought to be asking Frank Whiteley when that girl of his will be ready to go." "He don't want no part of this colt." "Frank?" "Well, so what do you think?" "Well, colt can run a little bit." "People are saying that your filly is the best two-year-old in the country." "Is that what people are saying?" "There's gonna be plenty of colts at the Champagne Stakes at Belmont, including Foolish Pleasure." "Well, don't get all worked up." "October is still a ways off yet." "Come on." "Give me something, will you?" "Anything." "An inkling." "I got to have something to write about." "And I thought you guys made all this stuff up." "All right, look... we'll go against fillies again in the Frizette..." "OK." "... sharpen her up." "Right." "She comes out of that OK, maybe we'll go in the Champagne." "Maybe." "That's not much to write about." "Make it up." "Make it up." "The morning of the Frizette, there was a hush of anticipation along the shed row." "Could Ruffian continue her string of record-setting runs?" "Mr. Whiteley." "Never seen her leave this much before." "Well, let's get her temperature." "Hey, Mike?" "Grab a shank and walk her out, would you?" "Yes, sir." "There." "You see that funny step?" "All right." "Turn her." "And stand." "Well, let's call the vet and get a set of pictures on her." "What's the problem, Frank?" "Well, sir, I don't know why she's spiking a fever, but she is." "Frank, there are 25,000 people out there for the Frizette Stakes today." "Yeah, well, we're gonna have to scratch her." "Nobody knows the horse better than Frank." "If he says she's a scratch, she's out." "Then she's out of the Frizette?" "Yes, sir." "But she will be ready for the Champagne Stakes October 5th?" "Well, that's entirely up to her." "No, but, Frank, the Champagne is a rare opportunity for us to feature Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure in the same field." "Horse racing needs this race." "We really need to bring people back to the tracks again." "Yes, sir." "I need to take care of my horse." "Sorry, fellas." "So, you see this cloudy area here... and here." "It's a hairline fracture." "She's gonna need a cast." "You're doing good." "Come on." "Here we go." "A little bit more." "Just a little bit more." "Oh" " Come on, now." "OK, you're all right." "Come on now." "Easy, missy." "Easy." "That's right." "We're almost done here." "Shh, shh..." "I don't know, Doc." "She's gonna tear that whole foot up." "You don't give up easy, do you, girl?" "OK, we'll go with the soft one." "You kick me, I'll kick back!" "How is she, Doc?" "She's got a hairline fracture on her right hind leg." "When will she be able to race again?" "Mm, it'll be months." "You know what happens?" "Here, you've got this half-ton animal galloping at 36 miles an hour... and for one split second, when you've got that foreleg out front of all that weight, all that force gets thrown down into that one small hoof." "12,000 pounds of pressure on that thin lower leg." "Keep an eye on her, Dan." "You bet." "Don't you have a home?" "Season's over." "Boy, I sure was looking forward to seeing her race against Foolish Pleasure." "I hate to disappoint you, but she's done for the year." "Gonna take her back down to Camden, let her grow into a three-year-old, let her be a horse for a while." "With Ruffian now idle on the sidelines, the historic Champagne Stakes fell to the swift mercy of Foolish Pleasure." "Down the stretch they come in the Champagne Stakes." "It's Foolish Pleasure with jockey Jacinto Vasquez, in front by 6 lengths, and it's Foolish Pleasure, taking the Champagne by 6." "Gentlemen, my colt Foolish Pleasure is now unbeaten in seven starts." "Now, that's at six different racetracks, six different distances." "Now, what else has he got to prove?" "Ha!" "I could take it from here, Mr. Whiteley." "No, I got it." "You go on home." "You sure?" "There's no one else here." "Well, there's 26 head of horses." "You want me to mix the medicine for you?" "No, go on." "Get out of here." "All right." "Merry Christmas, Mr. Whiteley." "Yep." "Oh, girl, you know I can't turn you out." "Just run yourself silly and get hurt again." "You probably don't even know you're hurtin', do you?" "Heh." "Maybe a year or two from now... if you make them colts cry "Uncle."" "Well... tell you what." "One little stroll, just 'cause it's Christmas." "Now, listen, missy, I'm turning you loose." "You're not gonna go crazy and make me look bad now, are you?" "Huh?" "All right." "Quite the little lady." "Come on, let's take a little stroll." "Here." "You're feeling good." "Come on." "There was a sense of electricity in the air that spring morning." "She came back to Belmont groomed and glistening in a black fur coat, bigger than she was last season, wider, taller, fuller, looking like a princess who had grown into a queen." "33 and 2/5." "She's flying." "Welcome back, Mr. Whiteley." "Oh, I knew my day was going too good." "Looks like your filly's back, too." "Got any race picked out yet?" "Couple weeks." "Nice to see you, too." "And they're off!" "And Ruffian, undefeated in five starts last year, jumps right to the front in her comeback, and she is in front by a length quickly." "Down the stretch they come, Ruffian in front." "A sensational return to the racing wars." "Ruffian by almost 5 lengths." "It's Ruffian, and she's back." "Mr. Whiteley, it's too early in her comeback for Ruffian to run in the Derby, but is there any chance she'll run the Preakness?" "Nope." "You're from Maryland." "Wouldn't it be nice to get back to your old stomping grounds?" "The Preakness has turned into a big circus." "Her dates are the Acorn, the Mother Goose and the Oaks." "Filly Triple Crown." "That's right." "She's running strictly with the girls." "She does like boys, doesn't she?" "She likes everybody except reporters." "What are you smiling about, Jacinto?" "I get to ride the best filly and the best colt, and now I don't even have to choose." "As usual, in the spring, the pace of thoroughbred racing began to quicken." "A month later, Foolish Pleasure came from behind to win the Kentucky Derby." "And down the stretch they come in the first jewel of the Filly Triple Crown." "The following week," "Ruffian trounced the field of fillies in the Acorn." "Ruffian, in another stakes record performance!" "But then Foolish Pleasure fell short at the Preakness... while Ruffian just kept rolling, winning the second leg of the Filly Triple Crown and once again setting a new stakes record." "Mr. Laurin, as the man who trained Secretariat," "I wonder if you could share with us your thoughts about Ruffian." "As God is my witness, she may be even better than Secretariat." "A week later, Foolish Pleasure gave it all he had, but lost by a head in the Belmont." "Frank Whiteley had the only undefeated three-year-old at this point." "He planned to win the third and final leg of the Filly Triple Crown and then beat the heat in July." "Cassie, I need you to proof this, particularly this name, that fact, and also check on..." "Oh, I gotta call you back." "What are you doing here?" "This is a place of business." "You heard the rumor?" "What rumor?" "The race of champions." "The race of champions?" "The big boys in the NYRA, they're trying to do something to spike attendance." "Yeah, so?" "Three different horses each won a leg of the Triple Crown this year, right?" "Yeah?" "First time in five years." "They're gonna put all three of them into one starting gate, see which one's the best of the bunch." "What about Ruffian?" "The boys forgot to invite her to their little stag party." "Hey, Dick, get a load of this." ""Race of champions?" "That's either a bad joke or false advertising."" "Huh?" "Huh? "Truth is, no three-year-old colt this year" ""can call himself a champion unless he tests himself against the unequaled filly Ruffian."" "Need a kicker." "Give me a kicker." "Gentlemen?" "Ah!" "Gentlemen." "Thank you." ""Gentlemen," ""you cannot steal the crown of a champion."" ""You... must... earn it."" "Very nice." ""You cannot steal the crown of a champion." "You must earn it."" "Oh, boy, that is good writing." "Heh-heh." "You got the girls buzzing with that." "Ha-ha." "Can't say I'm surprised." "Frank like it?" "Ha!" "I think you'll have to ask him about that." "Ah." "I'm sure he did." "Field of four horses - three colts and Ruffian." "The column got it right." "Got it right?" "Avatar's already on an airplane back to California." "He's not turning back." "And there's no way in hell LeRoy Jolley's gonna run his colt against another stalker like Master Derby and my speed horse." "Now you watch." "They'll find a way to get Master Derby to drop out, too, and then where's your four-horse field, huh?" "How many horses we got left?" "Two." "Yeah." "What kind of race is that?" "A match race." "Boy versus girl." "Ruffian versus Foolish Pleasure." "The two best three-year-olds in the country, a fight to the finish." "I thought the racing association made a commitment to run those three colts." "Avatar dropped out." "What about the Preakness winner" " Master Derby?" "The owners have been compensated. $50,000 to withdraw." "50 grand not to race?" "What sort of nonsense..." "It makes perfect sense, Aunt Barbara." "It clears the way for the race the world wants to see." "I don't know." "Did you speak to Frank?" "Ruffian belongs to you, but she also belongs to the public." "After all, it's the race fans that make that $400,000 purse possible." "You can't put a price on this." "55,000 fans here at Belmont, 20 million more watching on television." "The largest purse ever, more people viewing than ever before." "This one event could revive the sport." "Mr. Janney, you're up early." "Ah, couldn't sleep." "Beautiful horse." "She's about as close to perfect as I ever seen." "You ready to win the Oaks?" "You bet." "And after that..." "Frank, you and I both know that, some point, she's gonna have to run against the boys." "I'm thinking the Travers up at Saratoga, mid-August." "It's a long way off." "Well, good horses always need some time." "Frank, you asked for more time the end of last season, I gave it to you." "You know I trust you with this horse." "It's just that the pressure to have this match race is just - it's overwhelming." "I don't see how we can get out of it." "They've got our backs against the wall." "The newspapers won't let go of it." "The truth of the matter is, the sport is hurting." "Barbara and I can do something to help, really help." "Right now, I-I..." "I don't see how I can let a few months stand in the way." "Mr. Janney, all I really know is horses." "I mean, I don't know about the business end of this game, but..." "I just don't think a match race is the right thing for her." "Are you saying she'll lose?" "No, but... that colt's gonna be breathing on her every step of the way." "They're gonna have to sprint a solid mile and a quarter." "You know, I understand you're under a lot of pressure, sir, but..." "I'd just prefer you didn't pass that on to the filly." "Well, she's a great racehorse, maybe one of the best ever." "If we don't push her, she just might have a chance to prove it." "With all due respect, you didn't answer my question." "Can she win this race?" "Yes, sir, she sure can." "Will you train her so she can win it?" "I'm not gonna walk away from her now, am I?" "We've come too far, huh?" "Thank you, Frank." "We are pleased to announce that a match race has been set for July 6th between Foolish Pleasure, this year's Kentucky Derby winner, and Stuart Janney's fine filly Ruffian, the best filly of this era, possibly of all time." "CBS will broadcast the event live from Belmont Park for all of America to see." "The purse will be the richest in American thoroughbred racing history - $400,000... with $225,000 going to the winner." "Question." "Mr. Nack, as our most vocal advocate for this event, ask away." "Question for Mr. Whiteley." "Will Jacinto Vasquez be riding your filly or Mr. Jolley's colt?" "You're gonna have to ask him." "That's it." "Bring up the T-shirts." "Ladies and gentlemen, we have some gifts for you to kick off this historic event." "You'll just have to decide if you're rooting for her... or for him." "Look at this." "He's trying to make a bra burner out of this filly." "It sells tickets." "Sells newspapers, too." "Isn't that right, Nack?" "Well..." "let the battle of the sexes begin." "Hey, fellas." "You're gonna have to make up your mind, Jacinto, one way or the other." "What do you think?" "Are you telling me what to do?" "It's your choice, Jacinto." "I just want you to have all the facts before you make your decision." "Now, if you do go with Foolish Pleasure, of course you're not gonna be able to ride my filly anymore." "You know that, don't you?" "That's a lot of purse money left on the table, isn't it?" "Well, Mr. Jolley said I can ride for him no matter who I choose." "Well, he's a generous man." "I'm not." "So what's it gonna be, Puerto Rican?" "Oh, man, why you got to bust my chops all the time?" "You make it so hard to like you, I'll tell you that." "I don't want you to like me." "If you start liking me, you'd be riding her for the wrong reasons." "The only reason to get on her back is 'cause you think she's the better horse." "So what's it gonna be?" "Hey, which horse you gonna ride for the match race?" "Stay away from my jockey, Nack." "It's Ruffian in front by a length and 3/4." "Equal Change on the outside, second by one, and Let Me Linger is racing third as they come to the eighth pole." "Down the stretch they come." "Ruffian..." "Come on, baby!" "go!" "Yes!" "...Equal Change is second..." "Come on!" "Go!" "Go!" "...to the wire." "It's Ruffian!" "And Ruffian sweeps the Filly Triple Crown..." "That's it!" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "...2:27 and 4/5 seconds." "What a performance." "Did you get yours?" "Heh!" "You got the wrong name on that pin." "Good job." "Way to go." "Congratulations." "Way to finish." "That's great!" "Well, she set a stakes record, and Jacinto was holding her under wraps." "What do you think of that?" "She's gonna be very tough." "Oh, yeah." "Oh, yeah." "You choose your jock yet?" "Baeza." "Baeza?" "Adding a little fuel to the fire." "After two shots at Ruffian, nobody wants to beat her more than Baeza." "No one wants to beat Frank Whiteley more than Baeza, right?" "Heh-heh-heh." "Well, the jock don't like him, that's for sure." "Oh, no." "Heh-heh." "You... sore at Jacinto for going with the filly?" "No." "He chose Ruffian 'cause he thinks she's the best." "I think Foolish Pleasure's the best." "And that, my friend, is what makes horse races." "Sure." "To the winner and still-undefeated champion" " Ruffian." "Well, to our network sponsors." "Ah, thank you." "Cheers." "When Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs just two summers ago, their tennis match drew 30,000 fans." "We're expecting 55,000 for the great match race." "But, no matter who wins on July 6th, we will all be winners, because we'll have drawn millions of viewers and millions of new fans to the great sport of horse racing." "Hear, hear." "Mr. Janney, you wanted to see me?" "Frank, I just want you to know that when all of this is over, we're gonna go back to your schedule." "Yes, sir." "Appreciate that." "Dinny and the fellas from CBS want to have a few words with you." "Last-minute details to hash out, cameras and whatnot, OK?" "Yep." "Good." "A mile-and-a-quarter race has its starting at this colored post, down here on what we call the clubhouse turn..." "You can't start a match race on the turn." "Our audience will want to see..." "No." "They're gonna break out of the gate wide open, go into a turn?" "We need a shot of the start of the race." "I don't care about your cameras." "I care about my filly." "It's got to start in the chute." "You might as well start in New Jersey." "No." "If we do that, the crowd won't know what's going on for the first quarter-mile." "Heh." "Well, how 'bout we move the crowd?" "We'll get a much better shot if we start at the clubhouse turn." "This is a horse race." "It's not a picture show." "Is that the best we can do?" "What do you think?" "I've already told you what I think, Mr. Janney." "You asked me, "Can we win this," and I think she can, but... you want to start her on the turn... you're just gonna have to find yourself a different trainer." "The New York Racing Association and Belmont Park must always place the safety of our racehorses first." "Therefore, we've come to the conclusion we have no choice but to begin this great match race running a mile and a quarter between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure on our historic chute." "We've all been waiting a very long time for this, gentlemen, and we look forward to seeing you there on match-race day." "All I'm asking is one good workout, OK?" "You know the horse." "You won the Derby on him." "Come on." "Just, uh..." "bring him up to speed." "He's not doing what he needs to be doing, OK?" "You owe me this much." "I'll think about it, and I'll let you know." "Let me know." "Yeah." "Thank you." "What's on old LeRoy's mind?" "Nothing." "He wanted to know if I can work Foolish Pleasure tomorrow morning." "What?" "So you can sharpen his colt to beat my filly?" "Are you kidding?" "I never said I would do it." "You better not." "He's just messing with your mind, Puerto Rican." "I know." "He knows he ain't got the horse." "He knows there's no way in hell" "I'd let you anywhere near Foolish Pleasure between now and Sunday." "He's just trying to build a fire under Baeza's ass." "It's like this race is already being run, huh?" "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" "Heh." "22 and change." "So what do you think about all this women's-lib jazz surrounding the race?" "Well, at this point in era, there's no way a filly is gonna beat a colt." "Ruffian's going to win because she's the better horse." "Foolish Pleasure just because he's a male." "Ruffian because she's a female." "I say Ruffian." "I have to agree with my wife." "I like Foolish Pleasure, 'cause I'm a male chauvinist pig." "And here comes Ruffian, eating up the track." "The filly is only the fourth horse to sweep the Filly Triple Crown, and this workout today is her last before a showdown with Kentucky Derby winner the colt Foolish Pleasure." "One shot." "One shot." "Mr. Whiteley, one picture of the horse." "Come on, just one." "She's Wonder Woman, for crying out loud." "The people want to see her." "Yeah!" "All right." "Maybe just one." "Hey, Mike?" "Send them on down to stall 9, would you, and let them have one shot?" "Stall 9, sir?" "Yeah." "You sure you want to disturb her, boss?" "I think she can handle it." "Don't you?" "If you say so, yes, sir." "And just one shot, but be careful 'cause she bites." "You got our word." "One and done." "Well, you heard the man." "Come on." "Kicks, too." "Thank you, sir." "Thank you." "Right down here?" "All right." "Get a shot?" "Just one, now." "OK." "OK." "Oh..." "Are we ready?" "Behind me is the brilliant filly Ruffian." "The hopes and dreams of girls and women everywhere..." "Idiots." "...this Sunday as she takes on" "Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure." "Can a girl beat a boy?" "Is the female of the species better than the male?" "Old Frank sure knows how to get around the press, doesn't he?" "Yeah, it's hard to believe they can't tell that horse from this one." "I bet she'd love to be over there, posing for all those cameras." "Ain't that the truth?" "Look at her." "Not a worry in the world." "All she wants to do is run." "It's a long time to wait for those two minutes." "You nervous?" "Every time she goes, I'm nervous as a cat." "See ya." "Behind me stands the brilliant filly Ruffian." "The hopes and dreams of girls and women everywhere will be riding on her this Sunday as she takes on Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure." "We were watching that." "Boy versus girl." "He versus she." "Battle of the sexes." "First of all, you know what?" "It's horses!" "Horses, not people!" "And we're supposed to be journalists." "Objective journalists." "Now, come on." "Go back to work." "What's the problem?" "The problem?" "It's-It's the spectacle, you know?" "The circus." "It's not what I wanted." "It's not what I write about." "You know why you're a great sportswriter?" "'Cause you love the game and you're passionate about it, more than most people." "Sometimes they move in directions you don't want to go." "Sorry." "Good afternoon, and welcome to the great match race." "We're here at Belmont Park for what many have called "the battle of the sexes."" "Today, a black beauty of a filly named Ruffian, winner of all ten of her starts, will take on the powerful colt Foolish Pleasure, winner of the Kentucky Derby." "Yes, it's a day to dance, a day to celebrate, for this great match race is an historic event, a classic sporting confrontation, featuring a match-up as electric as that of any World Series, Super Bowl" "or heavyweight title bout." "but there's competition beyond the track as well... the so-called women's libbers versus the male chauvinists." "Male versus female." "Guys, are you gonna win today?" "Yeah!" "Yeah!" "I don't know if you're gonna be outdone by the ladies." "As you can see, a whole lot more rides on today's race than a $2 bet." "You ready?" "She's ready, but if Jolley thinks I'm taking her up there one second before I have to, he's got his socks on over his boots." "Thanks." "Colt's on his way." "Well, let's go to the party." "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Belmont Park for the great match race." "The horses will be on the track momentarily." "Best of luck, Stuart, Barbara." "Lee?" "I'll be damned if you didn't pull it off, Dinny." "Have a good race." "Ladies and gentlemen, here's the field for the great match race." "Number one is Locust Hill Farm's Ruffian, a three-year-old daughter of Reviewer out of Shenanigans, trained by Frank Whiteley Jr." "and ridden by Jacinto Vasquez." "Number two is John L. Greer's Foolish Pleasure." "Foolish Pleasure is a son of What A Pleasure out of Fool Me Not, and the trainer is LeRoy Jolley..." "What do you think?" "I think she's gonna win." "Me too." "The distance of the match race... a mile and a quarter." "Good luck, Mr. Whiteley." "The horses for the great match race will be at the starting gate in eight minutes." "Would you look at this turnout?" "It's great." "Oh, they're all here for your girl." "Our girl." "Nice to see this place so packed." "Yeah, it's amazing." "So did Whiteley say anything?" "I mean, how's the horse?" "Nothing left to say." "Time for them to race." "It is now post time for the great match race." "The colt and the filly are ready, the flag is up." "What's up?" "They seem very calm." "All set for the start." "And they're off!" "It's Foolish Pleasure going to the front." "Ruffian on the inside, up to challenge." "Come on." "Come on, baby." "Come on." "The first quarter in 22 and 1/5 seconds." "Ruffian on the inside, now gets to the front by a head." "Go, Ruffian!" "She's beating him." "She is." "Come on!" "Come on!" "Ha-ha-ha!" "Come on, baby." "Those two stride for stride as they race down the backstretch." "He's on the outside." "She's at the rail." "She's in front by half a length." "Come on, baby." "On the outside, Foolish Pleasure right there." "Ruffian has broken down!" "Ruffian has broken down!" "Jacinto Vasquez using his shoulder to try and support the filly." "Come on." "Come on." "First time they throw some speed at her, she comes unbuckled!" "Ha-ha!" "Mr. Whiteley, there's still a horse running." "Please." "Easy." "Ruffian has apparently broken her leg... as Foolish Pleasure, the colt, sails through the stretch." "The match race is over." "I didn't want to win like this." "Whoa, whoa." "Easy, easy." "You got her?" "Keep her as still as you can." "Keep her calm." "You're all right, girl." "Keep her calm." "Keep her still as you can." "No, don't let her move." "Keep her still." "Under the shoulder." "Oh... oh, this can't be happening." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "Jeff, inflatable cast." "Give it to me." "Easy!" "Easy!" "Hold her as still as you can." "Keep her steady." "Keep her steady." "Stuart, I'm so sorry." "Here, take this." "Take this." "Hey." "Here we go." "Here we go." "I got you." "I got you." "Come on in." "Easy." "Easy." "It's all right." "It's all right." "Come on now." "Step her up." "Easy, girl." "Whoa." "Whoa." "Easy, girl." "Oh." "The sesamoids, Frank." "They shattered." "They exploded right out." "She got any chance at all?" "Less than 10%." "I'll do the best I can do." "Easy, girl." "Everything's gonna be fine." "Everything's fine." "It's dropping..." "Here we go." "She's dropping too far down." "Give her another dose." "Yes, sir." "Standing by." "We're gonna need more 4 by 4s." "No, no, no." "It's too much." "She's reacting." "We're wide open." "I don't really know." "That's an improvement." "Hundreds of fans have gathered outside this small equine hospital next to Belmont Park, waiting for news of their beloved filly." "It is nearly six hours since the tragic accident, and these fans continue to keep their vigil on a very hot, very humid Long Island night." "We are told the great Ruffian has been anesthetized, and her condition at the moment is stable." "I'm certain that the question on everyone's mind at this point is "Will Ruffian survive?"" "Vital side." "I held her shank, and I talked to her all the way over in that ambulance." "I just talked to her and told her everything would be all right." "Just kept on talking." "What else could I do?" "Mike, pull yourself together now." "Flush this." "There was pigeons on the track." "Made her miss a step." "No." "She clipped the gate." "That's what did it." "Maybe it was the change in the track surface right out of the chute." "Could have been." "There's too many doctors in there." "They keep sticking needles in her." "Well, she's got the best vets in the country." "It's up to them now." "It's been touch and go for hours, you know?" "Hey." "Oh, thanks." "Is it true she was never behind in a race?" "No horse ever came close." "She wouldn't have tolerated it." "Heh." "A perfect 10 for 10." "11." "She was ahead when she broke down." "Yeah, we're all set." "That's fine." "Here he is." "Hello." "Shh, shh, shh." "So the surgery was a success." "Ruffian's right foreleg has been set in a special cast, and she's resting comfortably." "We won't have a full prognosis until she comes out of the anesthesia." "Until then, we'll just have to wait." "When we know more, we'll let you know." "Thank you." "All right." "Thank you, doctor." "It's all right, baby." "It's OK..." "Easy." "Easy, missy, easy." "Easy." "It's OK." "Easy." "Easy, girl." "Hey, Dan." "Mike." "OK, baby." "Easy." "All right." "It's all right." "Easy, baby." "Come on." "She thinks she's still running." "Keep her down." "I got her." "I got you now." "Ho, girl, ho." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "Keep pressure on her." "Keep her down." "You're gonna be all right." "No." "Down, girl, down." "Keep her steady." "Steady." "Watch that other leg." "Watch the other leg." "I need more hands in here!" "Don't let it hit the other leg." "Watch the cast." "Hold on now." "Hold on." "Don't let her - keep it down." "Keep her down." "Keep pressure on it." "Whoa, whoa." "Easy, girl." "No, no, no." "Still, still." "Hold her still." "She's broken her other leg." "Whoa, girl." "Keep her still." "Keep her down, down, down." "Hello?" "Yes, Frank." "She's broken her other leg." "Well, it's bad, sir." "As-As bad as I ever seen it." "I don't want her suffering anymore." "You go ahead." "Put her down." "Yes, sir." "Go put these on her, would you, Mike?" "Yes, sir." "Would she have beaten the colt?" "We'll never know." "It was a race to answer all questions, and it answered none." "Well, we better be getting along." "Frank." "I'm... really sorry." "Well, that's horse racing, Mr. Nack." "Just horse racing." "After Ruffian, I chose to walk away." "I could never cover the sport fulltime again." "But Frank... he went back to the track the next morning." "That was Frank for you." "No one knows why the filly broke down that afternoon." "Maybe she took a bad step." "Horses will do that sometimes." "But what she left in her passing was a memory far sharper, a vision of surpassing grace and beauty, of a soaring poetry in motion that was written in hoofbeats that ring as clearly today as they did then."