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RUFFIAN: THE MAKING OF THE MOVIE (ESPN Behind-the-Scenes)
Long before BARBARO became a legend, there was a horse with a similar ascension into the public consciousness. RUFFIAN is considered to be the greatest Thoroughbred filly of all time, and her story is the focus of a major motion picture, entitled, "RUFFIAN".
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, "RUFFIAN" which begins in 1974, when shrewd trainer Frank Whitely (Sam Shepard) gets an exceptional black filly named RUFFIAN. RUFFIAN begins racing that spring, setting new track records and going undefeated until she is sidelined for the year with a stress fracture. In the meantime, colt FOOLISH PLEASURE is gaining steam, winning the Kentucky Derby but falling short of the Triple Crown.
When RUFFIAN returns to racing in 1975 she sweeps the Filly Triple Crown known as the "New York's Triple Tiara" and everyone is clamoring for a RUFFIAN vs. FOOLISH PLEASURE nationally televised match race. After much public pressure, Whitely reluctantly agrees to enter RUFFIAN against FOOLISH PLEASURE in the Great Match Race and on July 6, 1975, both horses faced each other. The movie changes tone at this point, and you can probably infer that the race does not end well.
The film deftly depicts how a horse can capture the public's imagination and for better or worse transcend from being simply an animal. In the era of women's libbers, the race morphed into the Battle of the Sexes contested by two horses on a dirt track. By the movies end, the viewer will have a hard time believing that RUFFIAN was just a horse.
(25 Minutes)
Listing Info: | |
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Listing ID: | 110 |
Format(s) Available: | DVD And VHS |
Category: | U.S. & Canadian Flat Racing |