ABC SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE: RUFFIAN (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television historical drama film tells the story of renowned American thoroughbred racehorse Ruffian. The story begins in South Carolina in November 1973 as taciturn veteran trainer Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr. meets Ruffian, an imposing filly "built like a watch." Five months later, Ruffian trains at the famed Belmont Park, though Whiteley states that she is not yet ready to race. Fast-talking sportswriter Bill Nack shows off his encyclopedic knowledge of Kentucky Derby winners – including soon-to-be winner Secretariat, about whom he has written a book – though Whiteley declines to tell him much about his new "live wire." In May, at Ruffian's first race, everyone is surprised to see the unknown horse, and then amazed when she wins easily by several lengths. Whiteley, however, merely scolds the jockey, Jacinto Vasquez, whom he erroneously calls "Puerto Rican," for pushing the horse too hard. At the Sorority Stakes in July, Ruffian defeats the favored winner, Hot n Nasty, but Whiteley is again disinterested in celebrating, making it clear to Nack, himself a former groom, that the horses' well-being is his main concern. A colt called Foolish Pleasure, also ridden by Vasquez, begins to gain attention for his perfect record, though Whiteley declines to race the two against one another yet.
Nack is left "speechless" when Ruffian sets another record at the Spinaway Stakes in August, while elsewhere Foolish Pleasure wins the Hopeful Stakes. In September, however, Ruffian spikes a fever just before the Frizette Stakes, and Whiteley again put the horse's health first and declares a "scratch," removing her from the race. Ruffian is diagnosed with a hairline fracture in her leg and Whiteley declares her finished for the year, wanting to give her time to simply "be a horse." Foolish Pleasure receives the American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse honor in October, and Whiteley is relieved as Ruffian shows signs of significant improvement by the winter and he spends his Christmas by the horse's side. By April 1975, Nack observes that Ruffian has matured into "a queen," and she easily wins the Comely Stakes, though Whiteley tells the press that she will not attempt the Preakness. Foolish Pleasure then wins the Kentucky Derby, though suffers second-place "losses" at the Preakness and Belmont races as Ruffian continues to win. Nack then learns that Ruffian has, inexplicably, not been invited to a "Race of Champions," and he immediately pens an article denouncing the decision, stating that one must "earn" a crown, not "steal" it. Whiteley upbraids him for interfering, however, and the other owners soon pull their horses from the race, making it a one-on-one "match race" between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure.
Janney pushes Whiteley to accept the idea, saying that the highly anticipated race and its record-setting purse of $400,000 could "revive the sport," and he reluctantly agrees. The excited press dubs the race the second "Battle of the Sexes," referring to the recent tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, and Vasquez faces a difficult decision as he is forced to choose which horse to ride. Ruffian wins the Filly Triple Crown in June, and Foolish Pleasure's owner LeRoy Jolley is annoyed when Vasquez eventually picks Ruffian. Whiteley objects when he hears that the two horses are to start the race not from chute but from the clubhouse, meaning that they must make a sharp turn right away, in order to allow the television cameras and the audience a better view from the beginning. He threatens to quit if the change is not reversed, declaring that it is too physically dangerous for the horses, and the organizers eventually agree. The media continues to focus on the horses' genders, creating a lot of "women's-lib jazz" around Ruffian, and Nack is amused when Whiteley allows the press a brief opportunity to photograph Ruffian – and leads them to an entirely different horse, unbeknownst to the reporters.
Nack soon grows fed up with the "spectacle" surrounding the race, however, feeling that it is straying from the spirit of the sport, but the fans are excited as July 6, 1975 finally arrives. The horses take off and Ruffian pulls into the lead, but she suddenly "breaks down," seriously fracturing her leg. Everyone is horrified, barely noticing Foolish Pleasure's win, and Whiteley is devastated as she is rushed into surgery with a "less than 10% chance" of recovery. Everyone waits anxiously as the veterinary surgeons work on her, with the training team wondering how the tragedy could have happened and lamenting that she seemed likely to win before the accident, and the doctor emerges to tell the press that she has survived the operation and has been placed in a special cast. Ruffian is distressed as she emerges from the anesthesia, however, and thrashes around in fright, seemingly believing that she is still running the race, breaking another leg in the process. Janney tells Whiteley to spare the horse any addition suffering, and a heartbroken Whiteley realizes that she must be euthanized. Ruffian is given a solemn burial at the Belmont track, and Nack moves onto a career at Sports Illustrated, never to cover horse-racing full-time again. Whiteley, though, returns to the track right away and continues training horses well into his eighties, and he and Ruffian are both entered into the Racing Hall of Fame. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: June 9, 2007 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:56:01
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 113097
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Horse racing; Sports journalism
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 2007
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Evan Almighty" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Ruffian" home video
- TV - Commercials - AT&T wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - Aflac insurance
- TV - Commercials - Aquafresh White Trays teeth whitening
- TV - Commercials - Behr house paints
- TV - Commercials - Chase Freedom credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Citi banks
- TV - Commercials - Coppertone Sport sunscreen
- TV - Commercials - Denny's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Domino's Pizza restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Dr. Scholl's For Her shoe inserts
- TV - Commercials - Frontline Plus tick and flea prevention
- TV - Commercials - Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift wrinkle cream
- TV - Commercials - Gillette Fusion Power razors
- TV - Commercials - Jell-o Fruit Passions snacks
- TV - Commercials - Johnson's Melt Away Stress body lotion
- TV - Commercials - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Kotex Wings sanitary napkins
- TV - Commercials - Lipitor heart medication
- TV - Commercials - Lotrimin Ultra antifungal medicine
- TV - Commercials - Macy's stores
- TV - Commercials - MasterCard credit cards
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - MetLife insurance
- TV - Commercials - Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating foaming scrub
- TV - Commercials - Nicoderm CQ nicotine patches
- TV - Commercials - Off! insect repellent
- TV - Commercials - Oral-B Triumph electric toothbrushes
- TV - Commercials - Papa John's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Red Lobster restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Rembrandt toothpaste
- TV - Commercials - Rent-A-Center stores
- TV - Commercials - RoundUp weed killer spray
- TV - Commercials - Saturn automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Sherwin-Williams house paint
- TV - Commercials - T-Mobile cellular services
- TV - Commercials - The Home Depot stores
- TV - Commercials - Tic-Tac breath mints
- TV - Commercials - United States Peace Corps
- TV - Commercials - Valtrex herpes medication
- TV - Commercials - Verizon Wireless cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Visine-A eye drops
- TV - Commercials - Yellow Book phone books
- TV - PSA - ABC A Better Community volunteering
- TV - PSA - Adopt US Kids organization
- TV - Promos - "American Inventor"
- TV - Promos - "Fast Cars and Superstars"
- TV - Promos - "Kyle XY"
- TV - Promos - "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"
- TV - Promos - "Shaq's Big Challenge"
- TV - Promos - "Supernanny"
- TV - Promos - "The Ex-Wives Club"
- TV - Promos - "The Next Best Thing"
- TV - Promos - "Wife Swap"
- TV - Promos - NBA Finals
CREDITS
- Orly Adelson … Executive Producer
- Jon Eskenas … Co-Executive Producer
- Gideon Amir … Producer
- Malcolm Petal … Co-Producer
- Kim Anderson … Co-Producer
- Bill Nack … Consulting Producer
- Robert J. Wilson … Line Producer
- Mark Scott Spatny … Visual Effects Producer
- Yves Simoneau … Director
- Jim Burnstein … Writer
- Garrett K. Schiff … Writer
- Lawrence Shragge … Music by
- Sam Shepard … Cast, Frank Y. Whiteley, Jr.
- Frank Whaley … Cast, Bill Nack
- Nicholas Pryor … Cast, Stuart Janney
- Christina Belford … Cast, Barbara Janney
- Keith Flippen … Cast, Dinny Phipps
- Mike Harding … Cast, LeRoy Jolley
- John McConnell … Cast, Tony Pappas
- Vladimir Diaz … Cast, Jacinto Vasquez
- Mat Greer … Cast, Dan Williams
- Mark Adam … Cast, Mike Bell
- Tyrone Shaw … Cast, Squeaky
- Francisco Torres … Cast, Braulio Baeza
- Laura Bailey … Cast, Cassie
- Jon Stafford … Cast, Dr. Prendergast
- Stuart Greer … Cast, Dan Lasater
- John S. Davies … Cast, Network Executive
- Dave Johnson … Cast, NYC Announcer
- David Dwyer … Cast, Dick Sandler
- Joel Santiago … Cast, Vincent Bracciale
- Phillip DeVona … Cast, NYRA President
- Dennis O'Neill … Cast, Bar Owner
- Mary Griffitts … Cast, Reporter
- Frank Mirahmadi … Cast, Monmouth Track Announcer