Ruffian - Champion Two and Three Year Old Filly
In the post parade with jockey Jacinto Vasquez
The 26,000 square foot hospital is named after the legendary race filly Ruffian.
Ruffian won her first 10 races, setting and breaking records in almost every one . She shattered the previous record for a 2-year-old for 6 furlongs at Saratoga, running 1:08 3/5; this was faster than any of the past great racehorses, including Man O’ War and Secretariat. Her 2-year-old successes included the Fashion Stakes, the Astoria, the Sorority and the Spinaway, clinching the Eclipse Award for the outstanding 2- year-old filly. As a 3-year-old, Ruffian swept through all of her races with ease, including the Filly Triple Crown, being only the 4th filly to do so .
In July of 1975, Ruffian sustained a severe breakdown injury during the infamous match race against the Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. She was transported by ambulance to this very site, where Dr William Reed’s original hospital was located. After hours of emergency surgery to repair her injury, Ruffian reinjured herself while recovering from general anesthesia and subsequently was euthanized. Ruffian is buried with her nose to the finish line in the Belmont Park infield and is still considered by many as one of the finest Thoroughbred race fillies to ever grace the racetrack.
Belmont Park, 1975
It is on the very site that Ruffian was operated on that the Ruffian Equine Medical Center was constructed, 34 years after her death. This state-of-the-art hospital serves as a referral center, providing superior care for horses of all breeds and disciplines. The hospital carries the name of the great filly Ruffian, both as a tribute to her legend, and as a promise of dedication to continued progress and achievement in equine health care.