Eep! Yeah, you're right about Ruffian's handicap (cripes, she'd have been carrying two or three jockies if she'd had 220 on her). I'm old, so I remember that race. I was a kid and I was all fired up for the match race (even had a Breyer's horse model that I was carrying around which I'd made silks for to match Ruffian's) and had a bet going with my Dad (he picked Foolish Pleasure, of course). We both started crying when she faltered. It was awful.

I still think she would have won. She was pulling away. :-(

Anyway, I came across this very interesting article from an online issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Dates back to 2004 but it's very timely and really something to think about.