Thorbread Racing was faced with its most ignorant, industry-doubtful moment 50 years ago, 50 years ago, with a disinterested film breakdown against foolish pleasure in a highly promoted match race at Belmont Park. His tragic end on July 6, 1975, was a devastation for the game, and observers say the racing has never really recover.
Two years ago, during the rise of second-wave feminism, the nation was mesmerized by the “Battle of the Sex” tennis match between Billy Jean King and Bobby Rigs. Raja’s victory cried a rally for women everywhere. The New York Racing Association, eager to promote daily racing crowd in the mid -1970s, proposed a competition similar to Raja and Rigs. He created a match race between Kentaki Derby winner fool Anand and Rafian, which was the undefinished film, which dominated all his 10, which was the leading gate for the wire.
“In any game, in any game, in any game, in human or equine, it is really impossible to say who was the greatest.” “But I always think of Rafian that is one of the four to five horses of all time.”
The refect, almost jet black color and large -scale, was the same version of a Greek goddess. At the age of 2, his garth – measurement of the lease that secure the saddle – was more than 75 inches. Comparatively, the racing legendary secretariat, a male, was a 76 -inch gand when he was fully developed at the age of 4.
His name was also added to Abha. Jenny said, “Rafian” was a little stretch as it was a calf name, but it turned out to be a suitable name. “
On May 22, 1974, Rafian equaled a Belmont Park track record, determined by a man, at his beginning at the age of 2, win 15 lengths. He later set a record of a bet in that summer, which is in summer in Sampinway, in summer, which is the most prestigious race of the year for the 2 -year -old Phillis. In the next spring, he blew through a long distance race, including three races, which make the so -called film triple crown.
Some in the media speculated that she was out of the female competition.
Meanwhile, Phulish Anand exploded the championships at the end of the year with a undefeated 2 year old season. However, after starting his Sophomore campaign with a win, he finished third in Florida Derby. He also recovered from injuries on his front legs to win the wooden monument and then Kentki Derby.
The second -place Finnish in Preknass and Belmont Stakes left most observers with the idea that silly bliss was the best 3 -year -old man in business.
After Belmont bets, New York officials wanted to test the best film against the best Bachera.
The original idea was to include Prekness winner, Master Derby in the Great Match Race, but the team of Phulish Plager, trainer and Rider’s team did not want a three-horse race. Since New York Racing had guaranteed the last place horse $ 50,000, he paid the Master Derby connection $ 50,000 No For the race. Thus, the stage was determined for a uniform morality drama.
,[Ruffian’s] The capabilities gave him advantage in the match race, “Jenny said.” If she could do what she did in the whole areas [by getting the early lead]It was probably going to be even more effective in a match. ,
Many Ballu Match races in the history of sports attracted the world’s attention without an event – Siblchit vs Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1938, Ulsab vs Triple Crown winner tornado in 1942, and Nashua vs Swaps in 1955.
The Great Match Race attracted more than 18 million TV audiences on 50,000 live attendants and CBS in 2024 with a pair of Grammy Awards and NFL “Sunday Night Football”.
Principal New York’s sportsworiter Dick Young wrote at that time, for women, “was also a way to get a Rafian.”
“I can remember to run the New Jersey Turnpike, and the woman who took a toll in one of the booths wore a button, stating,” I am for her, “Rafian means,” Jenny said.
As the days went out, the Rafian’s rider, the Jacinto Waskes, which was also a regular rider of foolish pleasure including in Kentki Derby, had to choose who had to ride to ride for the match race.
Vaskese told ESPN, “I had enjoyed a foolish, and I knew what he could do.” “But I didn’t think he could beat the film. He did not have speed or stamina.”
Brolio Beza, who had riding a foolish joy to win in the last year’s Premier 2 -year -old race, Hopeful Stakes, was chosen to ride a foolish joy.
“I rode against foolish joy and Rafian,” the Baza said with language assistance to his wife, Jennis Blake. “I felt that foolish happiness was better than the Rafian. He just needed [early race] Pressure because no one ever put pressure on him. ,
The 1 mile mile race began at the beginning of Belmont Park Backstretch in Chute. In an ESPN documentary of 2000, Jack Whitekar, who hosted the race telecast for CBS, said the atmosphere became terrible with dark thunderkluds coming before the race.
The Rafian hit the banks of the gate when the doors opened but quickly straightened themselves and received the lead. New York trainer Gary Contesa said, “The whole world, including me, thought that the Rafian was going to get out of the screen and add to its heritage.”
However, about a mile in the race, the force of powerful Strides of the Rafian snatched two bones in the right leg in front of him.
“When he broke his leg, it looked like a broken stick,” said Vaskes. “She broke her leg between her leg and her ankle. When I pulled up, the bone was scattered over the ankle. She could not use that leg at all.”
The Rafian took a few moments to feel what happened to her, so she kept running. Vaske’s finally closed and bowed against him to support his shoulder.
“You see it, but you don’t want to believe it,” Jenny said.
Baeeza had no choice, but became a macabre payment exercise to finish the race for silly pleasure. TV cameras chased her, but everyone’s eyes were filmed on the track, which looked frightened because she was taken back to the barn area.
“When the Raffian broke, time was standing that day,” said Costa. Nevertheless, time was of essence in an attempt to save his life.
Jenny said that Dr. Frank Stinchfield – who was then a doctor for the New York Yenkis and “was ahead of his time in healing the bones of the people” – asked the racing authorities to see if there was something that he could do to help with the Rafian.
New York veterinarian Dr. Manny Gilman managed to seduce the Rafian, surgery on his leg and with the help of Stinchfield, secured his foot in an inflatable artists. When the Rafian woke up in the middle of the night, however, he began to fight and broke his bones irreputely. His team had no choice but to eutterize him at around 2:20 pm on 7 July.
“She was trying to move completely forward [Foolish Pleasure] Out of the gate, “Bayesa said.” He gave everything there. He gave his life. ,
CONTESSA described after that time “Still fare on the world.”
“When we found the word that he had rebuilt his leg, the whole world was crying,” said. “I can’t reproduce the feeling that I had.”
Jenny soon flew to the main for summer, and when the pilot announced her appearance, she got a round of applause. In cottages, they met thousands of well -working letters.
“We all sat there, after dinner every night, and we wrote back to each of them,” Jenny said. “It was very heavy, and it didn’t stop for a long time. I still get letters.”
Like the Triple Crown Race and Breeders Cup, Equine Fetals have been part of the business since its inception. Some came to the cluster and made headlines, such as Santa Anita in 2019 and Churchill Downs in 2023. However, breakdowns are not the only factor, and are not most effective in the gradual decline of the popularity of horse racing in this country.
But the effect from the day of Rafian’s death, and at that moment, is going on for horse racing.
“There are people who saw a breakdown and never returned,” said Costa.
Jenny said: “Regarding that time, racing began to disappear from national consciousness. The average person knows about Kentki Derby, and it is about it.”
Equine racing today is a safe game compared to 50 years ago. Equine injury database, launched by The Jockey Club in 2008, says that in 2024, the national level deadly rate was only more than half which was in its launch.
“We finally have protocols that probably should have been effective from this,” said Costa. “But the protocol has made it a safe game.”
Vaske’s said: “Today there are many good horses, but to be a horse like a Rafian, it is incredible. No one can compare Rafian.”
