Plot Synopsis

In1974, thoroughbred racehorse, Ruffian, broke a track record in her very first start and easily swept the New York Racing Association's so-called Filly Triple Crown. The public clamored to see Ruffian tested against males. Her trainer, Frank Whiteley, was against the idea but a winner-take-all match race was made between the owners of the filly wonder and Foolish Pleasure, that year's Kentucky Derby winner. Before a record track crowd and a massive TV audience, Ruffian had taken the lead when the bones in her right foreleg snapped. A surgical team worked to piece Ruffian's broken bones back together but when she awoke from anesthesia in a confused state she thrashed about wildly and undid the repair her surgeons had performed. She was immediately euthanized. Ruffian's beauty and speed made her a memorable filly and her tragic death stunned the nation, making her one of the most beloved horses of all time.