Racing’s Tragic Heroine

Lexington, KY January 21, 2002-- Eclipse Press announces the publication of Ruffian, the thirteenth book in the Thoroughbred Legends series.

Even against the backdrop of the 1970s, a decade of equine superstars and Triple Crown winners, Ruffian’s story stands out as one of the most poignant of her time.

This great black filly, often mistaken for a colt because of her impressive size, soared to record-breaking heights. She was always in front, always dominating the fillies that challenged her. In her short career of eleven races she was brilliant enough to be compared with Secretariat.

Her tragic ending in an infamous match race with Foolish Pleasure that pitted the genders against one another delivered horse racing a tough blow. Not only had a fateful misstep erased a star from the sky, but thousands had witnessed Ruffian’s demise from the grandstand or on national television. They left the race with a piece of their hearts missing.

Ruffian recounts the amazing career of this charismatic racehorse who set the standard by which all fillies and mares are measured. It also delves into the significant roles played by her old-school trainer, Frank Whiteley; her Panamanian jockey, Jacinto Vasquez; and Stuart and Barbara Janney, her owners and her breeders.

Author Milton C. Toby, partner in the Lexington, Kentucky-based law firm, Perch & Toby, has enjoyed a lifelong involvement with horses. A former racing journalist and photographer, Toby co-authored with law partner Karen Perch two books in the Horse Health Care Library: Understanding Equine Law and Understanding Equine Business Basics.

Published by Eclipse Press, December 2001.
ISBN: 1-58150-059-9
16-page photo well
Pages: 160, Bound Size: 6 x 8
Retail price: $24.95 Hardcover

Available at your local bookstore or Exclusively Equine
1-800-582-5604 (www.exclusivelyequine.com)

Distributed to bookstores by National Book Network
1-800-462-6420 (www.nbnbooks.com)

Go back to Eclipse Press index