
Post-spring college football power rankings
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adminEven with 10 players selected in last week’s NFL draft, the Georgia Bulldogs remain No. 1 in the second version of the 2023 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Just like a year ago, when the Bulldogs had to replace a record 15 players who were chosen in the NFL draft, including five first-rounders on defense, Kirby Smart’s roster is built to reload, keeping the defending national champs at the top of our list.
Michigan, Florida State, USC and Ohio State round out the top five as we’ve updated the rankings with the spring season and the latest transfer portal maneuvering behind us.
Previous ranking: 1
2022 record: 15-0, 8-0 SEC
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: The two-time defending national champions will have plenty of new faces on offense after former coordinator Todd Monken left for the NFL and quarterback Stetson Bennett departed. Former Georgia quarterback Mike Bobo takes over the playcalling again, and Carson Beck seemed to have the edge over Brock Vandagriff during the spring. The Bulldogs might have their deepest receiver rotation in years to help All-America tight end Brock Bowers. Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett, Dillon Bell and Arian Smith had big performances in the spring. The offensive line should be very good. Even with another round of starters leaving for the NFL, Georgia’s defense, led by edge rusher Mykel Williams, linebackers Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon and safety Malaki Starks, is still overflowing with talent.
Previous ranking: 3
2022 record: 13-1, 9-0 Big Ten
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 7 defense, 0 special teams
Post-spring outlook: With Jim Harbaugh firmly committed to staying at his alma mater, the Wolverines seem to have turned the corner — on the field and the recruiting trail. They defeated rival Ohio State and reached the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. The next step, obviously, is winning a game in the CFP. Harbaugh and his staff dipped deep into the transfer portal to shore up the offensive line. They didn’t have LaDarius Henderson, a left tackle from Arizona State, in the spring. Stanford transfers Drake Nugent and Myles Hinton were banged up. Receiver Peyton O’Leary, a former walk-on, and Benjamin Hall, a lightly recruited tailback, were big surprises in the spring game. Josaiah Stewart, a star pass-rusher at Coastal Carolina, had five tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. Linebacker Ernest Hausmann, a starter at Nebraska, had eight tackles and a forced fumble.
Previous ranking: 4
2022 record: 10-3, 5-3 ACC
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Florida State believes quarterback Jordan Travis is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate, and coach Mike Norvell added a couple of key pieces to give him more options this season. Jaheim Bell (South Carolina) and Kyle Morlock (Division II Shorter) are big upgrades at tight end. Receiver Kentron Poitier seems ready to break out and freshman Vandrevius Jacobs is another budding star on the perimeter. Braden Fiske, a Western Michigan transfer, and edge rusher Patrick Payton performed well in the spring, which should be big for a defensive line that already includes star pass-rusher Jared Verse.
Previous ranking: 7
2022 record: 11-3, 8-1 Pac-12
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is back to lead an explosive offense that might get even better with the additions of receiver Dorian Singer (Arizona) and tailback MarShawn Lloyd (South Carolina). USC’s offensive line might have three seniors and two juniors starting this season. Coach Lincoln Riley hired former Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury as an offensive analyst, and he’ll work closely with Williams. Of course, the question is whether the Trojans will be able to stop anybody on defense. Riley feels better about the front seven with the additions of linemen Bear Alexander (Georgia), Anthony Lucas (Texas A&M) and Kyon Barrs (Arizona). Former Oklahoma State linebacker Mason Cobb might be the best newcomer on defense.
Previous ranking: 2
2022 record: 11-2, 8-1 Big Ten
Expected returning starters: 7 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Junior Kyle McCord took the first step in taking over the reins from C.J. Stroud with a solid performance in the spring. Sophomore Devin Brown, another contender, missed the spring game with a finger injury. Coach Ryan Day won’t name a starting quarterback until preseason camp. The Buckeyes are loaded at running back and receiver (Carnell Tate, a freshman from IMG Academy, was a star in the spring), but the offensive line remains a work in progress. Senior Josh Fryar was the No. 1 left tackle in the spring; sophomore Tegra Tshabola was working on the right. After ugly performances in losses to Georgia and TCU in CFP semifinals the past two seasons, the defense seemed to make some much-needed strides in the spring. Safety Cameron Martinez might help shore up a leaky secondary. Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau are going to be stars up front.
Previous ranking: 5
2022 record: 11-2, 6-2 SEC
Expected returning starters: 4 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Neither Jalen Milroe nor Ty Simpson looked ready to fill former quarterback Bryce Young‘s shoes this spring, so the Crimson Tide are bringing in Tyler Buchner from the transfer portal. The former Notre Dame starter was recruited and coached by new Tide offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Tailback Justice Haynes, whose father, Verron, played at Georgia, looks ready to contribute. The defense, even without star edge rusher Dallas Turner, who missed the spring while recovering from surgery, performed well under new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Caleb Downs, the No. 1 safety in the 2023 ESPN 300, might crack the starting lineup in a very talented secondary.
Previous ranking: 8
2022 record: 10-4, 6-2 SEC
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 5 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Are the Tigers ready to return to the top of the SEC West under second-year coach Brian Kelly? They took down Alabama in overtime last season, but then nearly lost at Arkansas and were blown out by a bad Texas A&M team on the road. Quarterback Jayden Daniels should be better in his second season in the LSU offense and added weight in the offseason. He’ll have a great receiver corps at his disposal in Malik Nabers, Aaron Anderson (Alabama) and Kyren Lacy, who had a big spring. Daniels was very good last season, but he needs to throw the ball down the field more efficiently. With Maason Smith returning from a torn ACL to join Mekhi Wingo, the Tigers might have one of the best defensive lines in the FBS. Star linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. was just as disruptive after moving inside this spring.
Previous ranking: 6
2022 record: 11-2, 7-2 Big Ten
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Can the Nittany Lions finally get past Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten East and contend for their first league title since 2016? It’s going to be difficult to do it this season, but they feel like they’ve got one of their better chances with Drew Allar, the No. 2 pocket passer in the 2022 ESPN 300, taking over the offense. Penn State has two very good tailbacks in Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Kent State transfer Dante Cephas should help a receiver corps that already includes KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Harrison Wallace III. The offensive line, led by left tackle Olu Fashanu, should be better and deeper. The defense was much better under coordinator Manny Diaz last season, and cornerback Kalen King and linebacker Abdul Carter are stars.
Previous ranking: 15
2022 record: 11-3, 8-0 ACC
Expected returning starters: 7 offense, 8 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Clemson’s program seemed to be slipping, and coach Dabo Swinney responded by making one of the biggest hires of the offseason. New offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who helped lead TCU to the CFP national championship game in 2022, was lured away to get the most out of quarterback Cade Klubnik. Because of injuries at receiver and the offensive line, Clemson fans didn’t get a full look at Riley’s version of the Air Raid offense this spring. Clemson’s defense is going to be dominant. Freshman defensive tackle Peter Woods made a big impression this spring and will play on a very talented line. Swinney referred to him as a “Halley’s Comet” because of his physical skills and mental traits.
Previous ranking: 16
2022 record: 8-5, 6-3 Big 12
Expected returning starters: 9 offense, 6 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Oh, boy. Here we go again. Despite losing star tailback Bijan Robinson to the NFL draft, the Longhorns seem poised to win the Big 12 in their final season before leaving for the SEC. Quarterback Quinn Ewers has cleaned up his act and left no doubt who’s going to start under center this season. He added muscle, cut his mullet and is making better decisions on the field. Receivers Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Adonai Mitchell (Georgia) and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders provide him with plenty of options. Four starters are back on the offensive line, which had two true freshmen and a sophomore starting in 2022. The Longhorns have to learn to win close games (they lost five contests by seven points or less last season) and avoid losing to teams they should beat to finally turn the corner. Steve Sarkisian, whose teams have never won more than nine games in a season, likes his roster.
Previous ranking: 10
2022 record: 11-2, 6-2 SEC
Expected returning starters: 7 offense, 6 defense, 0 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Did the Volunteers catch lightning in a bottle last year with quarterback Hendon Hooker and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman? We’re going to find out this season as all three of them will be playing in the NFL. Michigan transfer quarterback Joe Milton III worked with the No. 1 offense throughout the spring after performing well in a 31-14 victory over Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Freshman Nicholaus Iamaleava, the No. 6 pocket passer in the ESPN 300, looked the part. He’s 6-foot-6 and wasn’t overwhelmed by the tempo of coach Josh Heupel’s hurry-up offense. Receiver Bru McCoy missed the spring and Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton was held out of the spring game. The Volunteers have to get a lot better on defense if they’re going to contend with Georgia in the SEC East.
Previous ranking: 11
2022 record: 11-2, 7-2 Pac-12
Expected returning starters: 7 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Washington’s priorities in the spring included rebuilding its offensive line, which lost both starting guards and its center. The good news: Guards Nate Kalepo and Julius Buelow and center Matteo Mele played quite a bit while rotating in the lineup last season. If the front can be solidified, Washington’s offense, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., should be very good again after averaging 39.7 points in 2022. The Huskies added a pair of running backs through the portal: Dillon Johnson (Mississippi State) and Daniyel Ngata (Arizona State). The Huskies had to get better in the secondary to compete in the pass-happy Pac-12. Oklahoma State transfer Jabbar Muhammad looks like an upgrade at cornerback, and Elijah Jackson and Thaddeus Dixon were competing at the other spot.
Previous ranking: 14
2022 record: 9-4
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman hoped to have a quarterback competition stretching into August. That won’t happen after Tyler Buchner decided to transfer to Alabama, leaving former Wake Forest starter Sam Hartman as the man in South Bend, Indiana, this coming season. He threw for nearly 13,000 yards with 110 touchdowns during five seasons with the Demon Deacons. Tailback Logan Diggs, the second-leading rusher last season, entered the transfer portal Thursday. Jaden Greathouse, the No. 4 tight end/H-back in the ESPN 300, looked like he’ll be able to contribute right away. The Fighting Irish lost top pass-rushers Isaiah Foskey and Jayson Ademilola. Nose guard Jason Onye and end Jordan Botelho made some strides in helping this spring.
Previous ranking: 13
2022 record: 10-4, 7-2 Pac-12
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: With quarterback Cameron Rising recovering from a torn ACL in his left leg, redshirt freshman Brandon Rose got a lot of work with the No. 1 offense this spring. Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said Rising is on schedule in his recovery and he’s “cautiously optimistic” he’ll be ready for the opener. The two-time defending Pac-12 champs have depth at running back with converted quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson picking up where he left off at the end of the 2022 season. Micah Bernard is also back after entering the transfer portal. Freshman receiver Mikey Matthews was a nice surprise during the spring. Ole Miss transfer Miles Battle should help shore up a secondary that lost star Clark Phillips III. Colorado transfer Cole Becker looks like a big upgrade in place-kicking from the past couple of seasons.
Previous ranking: 9
2022 record: 10-3, 7-2 Pac-12
Expected returning starters: 5 offense, 7 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: There has been quite a bit of turnover in Eugene, Oregon, since the Ducks defeated North Carolina 28-27 in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl to finish 10-3 in coach Dan Lanning’s first season. Quarterback Bo Nix has yet another offensive coordinator after UTSA’s Will Stein was hired to replace Kenny Dillingham, who was named Arizona State’s head coach. Nix had a couple of new targets in the spring: Traeshon Holden (Alabama) and Tez Johnson (Troy). Four starters on the offensive line departed; new center Jackson Powers-Johnson had a good spring. Lanning believes his team will be more physical this season. South Carolina transfer Jordan Burch should help improve the pass rush. Oregon had just 18 sacks in 13 games in 2022, the program’s fewest since 1986. Transfers Tysheem Johnson (Ole Miss), Khyree Jackson (Alabama) and Evan Williams (Fresno State) seem ready to contribute in the secondary.
Previous ranking: 12
2022 record: 13-2, 9-0 Big 12
Expected returning starters: 3 offense, 8 defense, 0 special teams
Post-spring outlook: There’s no question the Horned Frogs are going to miss the core of players who guided them to last season’s CFP national championship game: quarterback Max Duggan, receiver Quentin Johnson, tailback Kendre Miller and guard Steve Avila. Riley leaving for Clemson also was a big blow, but coach Sonny Dykes lured offensive coordinator Kendal Briles away from Arkansas to call plays. Chandler Morris was the starting quarterback going into the 2022 season before he was hurt and is more than capable of running the high-tempo offense. Transfer receivers JoJo Earle (Alabama), John Paul Richardson (Oklahoma State) and Dylan Wright (Minnesota) will help compensate for Johnson’s departure. There were also some big personnel losses on defense, especially linebacker Dee Winters and cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.
Previous ranking: 17
2022 record: 10-3, 6-3 Pac-12
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Oregon State’s quarterback battle is undecided heading into the summer. Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei and returning starter Ben Gulbranson got some unexpected competition from freshman Aidan Chiles, a dual-threat passer from Downey, California. Uiagalelei might benefit from a full summer learning the system. The Beavers were 105th in the FBS in passing last season, so they need to figure out how to get better. On defense, inside linebacker Easton Mascarenas and cornerback Tyrice Ivy, a 6-foot-3 transfer from College of San Mateo, are potential breakout stars. The secondary suffered a blow during the spring, as projected starter Skyler Thomas tore an ACL and will miss the 2023 season.
Previous ranking: 18
2022 record: 10-4, 7-2 Big 12
Expected returning starters: 7 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Kansas State coach Chris Klieman doesn’t believe in spring games — he didn’t have them at North Dakota State, either — so much of the defending Big 12 champions’ work was done behind closed doors this spring. Quarterback Will Howard is back, and tailbacks DJ Giddens and Treshaun Ward (Florida State) are the favorites to replace star Deuce Vaughn. The Wildcats lost first-round NFL draft pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah and nose tackle Eli Huggins up front. Mississippi State transfer Jevon Banks and Uso Seumalo will be counted on to plug holes. There are also good ongoing battles at cornerback (starters Julius Brents and Ekow Boye-Doe departed) and safety (Drake Cheatum, Josh Hayes and Cincere Mason left).
Previous ranking: 19
2022 record: 12-2, 7-1 AAC
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: After leading the Green Wave to an AAC title and stunning upset of USC in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, coach Willie Fritz had a busy offseason. He was in the mix to take over at Georgia Tech, but elected to stay in New Orleans. Then he lost defensive coordinator Chris Hampton to Oregon — and the coach he hired, Lance Guidry, left for Miami after less than a month on the job. Tulane hired Troy’s Shiel Woods, whose unit held eight of its past nine opponents under 20 points last season. Quarterback Michael Pratt returns, along with four of five starting offensive linemen. Running back Tyjae Spears and receivers Duece Watts and Shae Wyatt departed. The defense will have to replace its top four tacklers. Darius Swanson, a transfer from Division II Nebraska-Kearney, was working as the No. 1 free safety in the spring.
Previous ranking: 23
2022 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big 12
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: I’m taking a flier on the Red Raiders, who won their last four games in 2022, including a 42-25 victory against Ole Miss in the TaxAct Texas Bowl. The loss of defensive end Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 pick in last week’s NFL draft, is going to sting. But eight seniors might be starting on Tim DeRuyter’s defense this season. Myles Cole was working at Wilson’s spot in the spring (Joseph Adedire was sidelined), and Syracuse transfer Steve Linton is another player to watch on the edge. Safety CJ Baskerville (San Diego State) had a big spring in the secondary. Quarterback Tyler Shough and Behren Morton were locked in a pretty good battle for the starting job, although it’s probably still Shough’s job to lose.
Previous ranking: 21
2022 record: 9-5, 6-2 ACC
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Coach Mack Brown’s priorities this offseason were finding quarterback Drake Maye some help and turning around his team’s woeful defense. Transfer receivers Nate McCollum (Georgia Tech) and Devontez Walker (Kent State) developed chemistry with Maye quickly, and Chip Lindsey was hired after offensive coordinator Phil Longo left for Wisconsin. Brown thinks his team’s defensive line is more skilled and disruptive, and Kaimon Rucker, Jaybron Harvey and Beau Atkinson were bright spots in the spring and might help star Myles Murphy up front. East Tennessee State transfer Alijah Huzzie made quite an impression in the secondary. Another cornerback, Virginia Tech transfer Armani Chatman, missed the spring because of shoulder surgery.
Previous ranking: 20
2022 record: 8-5, 4-4 SEC
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Few FBS teams had as much turnover as the Rebels, who underwent dramatic roster and coaching staff changes after they dropped their final four games in 2022. Coach Lane Kiffin brought in six new assistant coaches, including former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who will try to improve a unit that allowed 34.5 points per game during the late-season swoon. Quarterback Jaxson Dart probably remains the starter heading into the summer, after battling transfers Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU) in the spring. Linebacker Monty Montgomery (Louisville), cornerback Zamari Walton (Georgia Tech) and safety John Saunders Jr. (Miami, Ohio) look like key additions on defense.
Previous ranking: 22
2022 record: 11-3, 8-0 C-USA
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: After winning two straight Conference USA titles, the Roadrunners were able to keep coach Jeff Traylor and quarterback Frank Harris, who is back for a seventh season after throwing for 4,063 yards with 32 touchdowns in 2022. Those were big wins for a program that is preparing to play its first season in the AAC. Associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator Justin Burke is taking over the playcalling after Will Stein left for Oregon. Harris and receivers De’Corian Clark, Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin were held out of the spring while recovering from injuries. Franklin, who caught 93 passes for 1,137 yards with 15 touchdowns in 2022, unexpectedly entered the transfer portal Friday.
Previous ranking: NR
2022 record: 7-6, 3-5 SEC
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams
Post-spring outlook: While much of the attention this spring might have been on the transfers replacing quarterback Will Levis (former NC State starter Devin Leary) and tailback Chris Rodriguez Jr. (former Vanderbilt starter Ray Davis), rebuilding a porous offensive line was a primary focus for coach Mark Stoops and new offensive coordinator Liam Coen. The Wildcats ranked 112th in the FBS in scoring (20.4 points) and 116th in total offense (324.7 yards) in 2022. Kentucky surrendered 46 sacks last season, the most by any Power 5 program. Northern Illinois transfer Marques Cox was working at left tackle and Eli Cox moved back to right guard from center. Jager Burton was working at center. Last week, the Wildcats received a commitment from USC’s Courtland Ford, who could fill a hole at right tackle.
Previous ranking: NR
2022 record: 7-6, 4-5 Big Ten
Expected returning starters: 8 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams
Post-spring outlook: Under new coach Luke Fickell, the Badgers have ditched the “three yards and a cloud of dust” offense that had been a staple since Barry Alvarez was roaming the sidelines. Now, Wisconsin is running offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s version of the up-tempo Air Raid attack. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai, a two-year starter at SMU, struggled in the spring game but performed well otherwise. Four transfer receivers — Quincy Burroughs (Cincinnati), Will Pauling (Cincinnati), CJ Williams (USC) and Bryson Green (Oklahoma State) — were also brought in to help with the transformation. Longo wants the Badgers to be balanced; tailbacks Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi combined to run for 1,715 yards in 2022.
Dropped out: James Madison, Iowa
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Sports
Remembering Ruffian 50 years after her breakdown at Belmont
Published
6 hours agoon
July 6, 2025By
admin
Thoroughbred racing suffered its most ignominious, industry-deflating moment 50 years ago today with the breakdown of Ruffian, an undefeated filly running against Foolish Pleasure in a highly promoted match race at Belmont Park. Her tragic end on July 6, 1975, was a catastrophe for the sport, and observers say racing has never truly recovered.
Two years earlier, during the rise of second-wave feminism, the nation had been mesmerized by a “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. King’s win became a rallying cry for women everywhere. The New York Racing Association, eager to boost daily racing crowds in the mid-1970s, proposed a competition similar to that of King and Riggs. They created a match race between Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure and Ruffian, the undefeated filly who had dominated all 10 of her starts, leading gate to wire.
“In any sport, human or equine, it’s really impossible to say who was the greatest,” said outgoing Jockey Club chairman Stuart Janney III, whose parents, Stuart and Barbara, owned Ruffian. “But I’m always comfortable thinking of Ruffian as being among the four to five greatest horses of all time.”
Ruffian, nearly jet black in color and massive, was the equine version of a Greek goddess. At the age of 2, her girth — the measurement of the strap that secures the saddle — was just over 75 inches. Comparatively, racing legend Secretariat, a male, had a 76-inch girth when he was fully developed at the age of 4.
Her name also added to the aura. “‘Ruffian’ was a little bit of a stretch because it tended to be what you’d name a colt, but it turned out to be an appropriate name,” Janney said.
On May 22, 1974, Ruffian equaled a Belmont Park track record, set by a male, in her debut at age 2, winning by 15 lengths. She set a stakes record later that summer at Saratoga in the Spinaway, the most prestigious race of the year for 2-year-old fillies. The next spring, she blew through races at longer distances, including the three races that made up the so-called Filly Triple Crown.
Some in the media speculated that she had run out of female competition.
Foolish Pleasure had meanwhile ripped through an undefeated 2-year-old season with championship year-end honors. However, after starting his sophomore campaign with a win, he finished third in the Florida Derby. He also had recovered from injuries to his front feet to win the Wood Memorial and then the Kentucky Derby.
Second-place finishes in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes left most observers with the idea that Foolish Pleasure was the best 3-year-old male in the business.
Following the Belmont Stakes, New York officials wanted to test the best filly against the best colt.
The original thought was to include the Preakness winner, Master Derby, in the Great Match Race, but the team of Foolish Pleasure’s owner, trainer and rider didn’t want a three-horse race. Since New York racing had guaranteed $50,000 to the last-place horse, they paid Master Derby’s connections $50,000 not to race. Thus, the stage was set for an equine morality play.
“[Ruffian’s] abilities gave her the advantage in the match race,” Janney said. “If she could do what she did in full fields [by getting the early lead], then it was probably going to be even more effective in a match.”
Several ballyhooed match races in sports history had captured the world’s attention without incident — Seabiscuit vs. Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1938, Alsab vs. Triple Crown winner Whirlaway in 1942, and Nashua vs. Swaps in 1955. None of those races, though, had the gender divide “it” factor.
The Great Match Race attracted 50,000 live attendees and more than 18 million TV viewers on CBS, comparable to the Grammy Awards and a pair of NFL “Sunday Night Football” games in 2024.
Prominent New York sportswriter Dick Young wrote at the time that, for women, “Ruffian was a way of getting even.”
“I can remember driving up the New Jersey Turnpike, and the lady that took the toll in one of those booths was wearing a button that said, ‘I’m for her,’ meaning Ruffian,” Janney said.
As the day approached, Ruffian’s rider, Jacinto Vasquez, who also was the regular rider of Foolish Pleasure including at the Kentucky Derby, had to choose whom to ride for the match race.
“I had ridden Foolish Pleasure, and I knew what he could do,” Vasquez told ESPN. “But I didn’t think he could beat the filly. He didn’t have the speed or stamina.”
Braulio Baeza, who had ridden Foolish Pleasure to victory in the previous year’s premier 2-year-old race, Hopeful Stakes, was chosen to ride Foolish Pleasure.
“I had ridden Foolish Pleasure and ridden against Ruffian,” Baeza said, with language assistance from his wife, Janice Blake. “I thought Foolish Pleasure was better than Ruffian. She just needed [early race] pressure because no one had ever pressured her.”
The 1⅛ mile race began at the start of the Belmont Park backstretch in the chute. In an ESPN documentary from 2000, Jack Whitaker, who hosted the race telecast for CBS, noted that the atmosphere turned eerie with dark thunderclouds approaching before the race.
Ruffian hit the side of the gate when the doors opened but straightened herself out quickly and assumed the lead. “The whole world, including me, thought that Ruffian was going to run off the screen and add to her legacy,” said longtime New York trainer Gary Contessa, who was a teenager when Ruffian ruled the racing world.
However, about ⅛ of a mile into the race, the force of Ruffian’s mighty strides snapped two bones in her front right leg.
“When she broke her leg, it sounded like a broken stick,” Vasquez said. “She broke her leg between her foot and her ankle. When I pulled up, the bone was shattered above the ankle. She couldn’t use that leg at all.”
It took Ruffian a few moments to realize what had happened to her, so she continued to run. Vasquez eventually hopped off and kept his shoulder leaning against her for support.
“You see it, but you don’t want to believe it,” Janney said.
Baeza had no choice but to have Foolish Pleasure finish the race in what became a macabre paid workout. The TV cameras followed him, but the eyes of everyone at the track were on the filly, who looked frightened as she was taken back to the barn area.
“When Ruffian broke down, time stood still that day,” Contessa said. Yet time was of the essence in an attempt to save her life.
Janney said that Dr. Frank Stinchfield — who was the doctor for the New York Yankees then and was “ahead of his time in fixing people’s bones” — called racing officials to see whether there was anything he could do to help with Ruffian.
New York veterinarian Dr. Manny Gilman managed to sedate Ruffian, performed surgery on her leg and, with Stinchfield’s help, secured her leg in an inflatable cast. When Ruffian woke up in the middle of the night, though, she started fighting and shattered her bones irreparably. Her team had no choice but to euthanize her at approximately 2:20 a.m. on July 7.
“She was going full bore trying to get in front of [Foolish Pleasure] out of the gate,” Baeza said. “She gave everything there. She gave her life.”
Contessa described the time after as a “stilled hush over the world.”
“When we got the word that she had rebroken her leg, the whole world was crying,” Contessa said. “I can’t reproduce the feeling that I had the day after.”
The Janneys soon flew to Maine for the summer, and they received a round of applause when the pilot announced their presence. At the cottage, they were met by thousands of well-wishing letters.
“We all sat there, after dinner every night, and we wrote every one of them back,” Janney said. “It was pretty overwhelming, and that didn’t stop for a long time. I still get letters.”
Equine fatalities have been part of the business since its inception, like the Triple Crown races and Breeders’ Cup. Some have generated headlines by coming in clusters, such as Santa Anita in 2019 and Churchill Downs in 2023. However, breakdowns are not the only factor, and likely not the most influential one, in the gradual decline of horse racing’s popularity in this country.
But the impact from the day of Ruffian’s death, and that moment, has been ongoing for horse racing.
“There are people who witnessed the breakdown and never came back,” Contessa said.
Said Janney: “At about that time, racing started to disappear from the national consciousness. The average person knows about the Kentucky Derby, and that’s about it.”
Equine racing today is a safer sport now than it was 50 years ago. The Equine Injury Database, launched by the Jockey Club in 2008, says the fatality rate nationally in 2024 was just over half of what it was at its launch.
“We finally have protocols that probably should have been in effect far sooner than this,” Contessa said. “But the protocols have made this a safer game.”
Said Vasquez: “There are a lot of nice horses today, but to have a horse like Ruffian, it’s unbelievable. Nobody could compare to Ruffian.”
Sports
Volpe toss hits Judge as sloppy Yanks fall again
Published
15 hours agoon
July 6, 2025By
admin
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Jorge CastilloJul 5, 2025, 09:42 PM ET
Close- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
NEW YORK — A blunder that typifies the current state of the New York Yankees, who find themselves in the midst of their second six-game losing streak in three weeks, happened in front of 41,401 fans at Citi Field on Saturday, and almost nobody noticed.
The Yankees were jogging off the field after securing the third out of the fourth inning of their 12-6 loss to the Mets when shortstop Anthony Volpe, as is standard for teams across baseball at the end of innings, threw the ball to right fielder Aaron Judge as he crossed into the infield from right field.
Only Judge wasn’t looking, and the ball nailed him in the head, knocking his sunglasses off and leaving a small cut near his right eye. The wound required a bandage to stop the bleeding, but Judge stayed in the game.
“Confusion,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I didn’t know what happened initially. [It just] felt like something happened. Of course I was a little concerned.”
Avoiding an injury to the best player in baseball was on the Yankees’ very short list of positives in another sloppy, draining defeat to their crosstown rivals. With the loss, the Yankees, who held a three-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East standings entering June 30, find themselves tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for second place three games behind the Blue Jays heading into Sunday’s Subway Series finale.
The nosedive has been fueled by messy defense and a depleted pitching staff that has encountered a wall.
“It’s been a terrible week,” said Boone, who before the game announced starter Clarke Schmidt will likely undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.
For the second straight day, the Mets capitalized on mistakes and cracked timely home runs. After slugging three homers in Friday’s series opener, the Mets hit three more Saturday — a grand slam in the first inning from Brandon Nimmo to take a 4-0 lead and two home runs from Pete Alonso to widen the gap.
Nimmo’s blast — his second grand slam in four days — came after Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez misplayed a ball hit by the Mets’ leadoff hitter in the first inning. On Friday, he misread Nimmo’s line drive and watched it sail over his head for a double. On Saturday, he was slow to react to Starling Marte’s flyball in the left-center field gap and braked without catching or stopping it, allowing Marte to advance to second for a double. Yankees starter Carlos Rodon then walked two batters to load the bases for Nimmo, who yanked a mistake, a 1-2 slider over the wall.
“That slider probably needs to be down,” said Rodon, who allowed seven runs (six earned) over five innings. “A lot of misses today and they punished them.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s throwing woes at third base — a position the Yankees have asked him to play to accommodate DJ LeMahieu at second base — continued in the second inning when he fielded Tyrone Taylor’s groundball and sailed a toss over first baseman Cody Bellinger’s head. Taylor was given second base and scored moments later on Marte’s RBI single.
The Yankees were charged with their second error in the Mets’ four-run seventh inning when center fielder Trent Grisham charged Francisco Lindor’s single up the middle and had it bounce off the heel of his glove.
The mistake allowed a run to score from second base without a throw, extending the Mets lead back to three runs after the Yankees had chipped their deficit, and allowed a heads-up Lindor to advance to second base. Lindor later scored on Alonso’s second home run, a three-run blast off left-hander Jayvien Sandridge in the pitcher’s major league debut.
“Just got to play better,” Judge said. “That’s what it comes down to. It’s fundamentals. Making a routine play, routine. It’s just the little things. That’s what it kind of comes down to. But every good team goes through a couple bumps in the road.”
This six-game losing skid has looked very different from the Yankees’ first. That rough patch, consisting of losses to the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels, was propelled by offensive troubles. The Yankees scored six runs in the six games and gave up just 16. This time, run prevention is the issue; the Yankees have scored 34 runs and surrendered 54 in four games against the Blue Jays in Toronto and two in Queens.
“The offense is starting to swing the bat, put some runs on the board,” Boone said. “The pitching, which has kind of carried us a lot this season, has really, really struggled this week. We haven’t caught the ball as well as I think we should.
“So, look, when you live it and you’re going through it, it sucks, it hurts. But you got to be able to handle it. You got to be able to deal with it. You got to be able to weather it and come out of this and grow.”
Sports
Former White Sox pitcher, world champ Jenks dies
Published
18 hours agoon
July 6, 2025By
admin
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ESPN News Services
Jul 5, 2025, 05:48 PM ET
Bobby Jenks, a two-time All-Star pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who was on the roster when the franchise won the 2005 World Series, died Friday in Sintra, Portugal, the team announced.
Jenks, 44, who had been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer, this year, spent six seasons with the White Sox from 2005 to 2010 and also played for the Boston Red Sox in 2011. The reliever finished his major league career with a 16-20 record, 3.53 ERA and 173 saves.
“We have lost an iconic member of the White Sox family today,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “None of us will ever forget that ninth inning of Game 4 in Houston, all that Bobby did for the 2005 World Series champions and for the entire Sox organization during his time in Chicago. He and his family knew cancer would be his toughest battle, and he will be missed as a husband, father, friend and teammate. He will forever hold a special place in all our hearts.”
After Jenks moved to Portugal last year, he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. That eventually spread into blood clots in his lungs, prompting further testing. He was later diagnosed with adenocarcinoma and began undergoing radiation.
In February, as Jenks was being treated for the illness, the White Sox posted “We stand with you, Bobby” on Instagram, adding in the post that the club was “thinking of Bobby as he is being treated.”
In 2005, as the White Sox ended an 88-year drought en route to the World Series title, Jenks appeared in six postseason games. Chicago went 11-1 in the playoffs, and he earned saves in series-clinching wins in Game 3 of the ALDS at Boston, and Game 4 of the World Series against the Houston Astros.
Bobby will forever hold a special place in all our hearts 🤍 pic.twitter.com/CLNi7g0Tzh
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 5, 2025
In 2006, Jenks saved 41 games, and the following year, he posted 40 saves. He also retired 41 consecutive batters in 2007, matching a record for a reliever.
“You play for the love of the game, the joy of it,” Jenks said in his last interview with SoxTV last year. “It’s what I love to do. I [was] playing to be a world champion, and that’s what I wanted to do from the time I picked up a baseball.”
A native of Mission Hills, California, Jenks appeared in 19 games for the Red Sox and was originally drafted by the then-Anaheim Angels in the fifth round of the 2000 draft.
Jenks is survived by his wife, Eleni Tzitzivacos, their two children, Zeno and Kate, and his four children from a prior marriage, Cuma, Nolan, Rylan and Jackson.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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