Ruffian is considered by many to be the greatest female thoroughbred racehorse of all time. Ruffian was bred and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Janney on their Locust Hill Farm. She was born at Claiborne Farm in Kentucky from some breeding stock which the Janneys kept there.

A dark bay or brown filly, Ruffian was sired by the Bold Ruler stallion Reviewer and out of the Native Dancer mare Shenanigans and was trained by Frank Whitely.

Nicknamed "Queen of the Fillies" after being named Two-Year-Old Filly of the Year in 1974 and winning the Filly Triple Crown in 1975 Ruffian was undefeated in her first ten races, covering distances from 5 1/2 furlongs to 1 1/2 miles. Her eleventh and final race, run at Belmont Park in 1975, was a match race between Ruffian and that year's Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. This heavily anticipated race was attended by more than 50,000 spectators, with an estimated 18 million watching on television.

Unwilling to give up the race, Ruffian was in front by half a length when both sesamoid bones in her right foreleg snapped. During surgery Ruffian was euthanized.

Ruffian is buried near the finish line in the infield at Belmont Park. It is often said, "she died on the lead."

Pedigree:  

Ruffian, br.f. foaled 1972	Reviewer, 1966	Bold Ruler, 1954	*Nasrullah
			Miss Disco
		Broadway, 1959	Hasty Road
			Flitabout
	Shenanigans, 1963	Native Dancer, 1950	Polynesian
			Geisha
		Bold Irish, 1948	Fighting Fox
			Erin

Born: April 17, 1972 at Claiborne Farm, Paris KY
Died: July 7, 1975 (age 3) at a veterinary hospital adjacent to Belmont Park, buried near the flagpole at Belmont

Racing Record:

Year	Age	Starts	1st	2nd	3rd	unp.	earnings
1974	2	5	5	0	0	0	$ 134,073
1975	3	6	5	0	0	1	179,335
total		11	10	0	0	1	$313,408

Stakes Record:
 

At 2 years of age:

• Won - Fashion Stakes (Equaled Track Record)
• Won - Astoria Stakes (Equaled Track Record)
• Won - Sorority Stakes (New Stakes Record)
• Won - Spinaway Stakes (New Stakes Record)
• Champion 2 year old Filly

At 3 years old:

• Won - Comely Stakes (New Stakes Record)
• Won - Acorn Stakes (New Stakes Record)
• Won - Mother Goose Stakes (New Stakes Record)
• Won - Coaching Club American Oaks (Equaled Stakes Record)
• Champion 3yo Filly