Foolish Pleasure

Thoroughbred racehorse infobox
horsename = Foolish Pleasure


caption =
sire = What a Pleasure
grandsire = Bold Ruler
dam = Fool Me Not
damsire = Tom Fool
sex = Stallion
foaled = 1972
country = United States flagicon|USA
colour = Bay
breeder = Waldemar Farms, Inc.
owner = John L. Greer
trainer = LeRoy Jolley
record = 26: 16-4-3
earnings = $1,216,705
race = Champagne Stakes (1974)
Hopeful Stakes (1974)
Tremont Stakes (1974)
Cowdin Stakes (1974)
Flamingo Stakes (1975)
Wood Memorial Stakes (1975)
Donn Handicap (1976)
Suburban Handicap (1976)
Washington Park Handicap (1976)

American Classic Race wins:
Kentucky Derby (1975)
awards= U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt (1974)
honours = United States Racing Hall of Fame (1995)
#97 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
Foolish Pleasure Stakes at Calder Race Course
updated= September 30, 2008

Foolish Pleasure (1972-1994) is an American bay thoroughbred race horse who was one of the top three three-year-old colts of his time.

Owned by John L. Greer and trained by LeRoy Jolley, who had previously been partners in the colt Ridan, Foolish Pleasure was undefeated as a two-year-old and in 1975 at age three, he won the Flamingo Stakes, Wood Memorial Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby. Although heavily favored to win, he finished second to longshots in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

He was racing at the same time as Ruffian, the "Queen of the Fillies," who'd won all ten of her races, including the Fillies' Triple Crown. In July 1975, a match race was arranged between the two horses. The two horses had the same jockey—Jacinto Vásquez, who chose to ride Ruffian, with Braulio Baeza taking over on Foolish Pleasure. This race became more than a horse race. It became a highly publicized "battle of the sexes" contest, similar to the tennis matches between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs which occurred about the same time. Thousands of fans gathered at the track, and the race was also televised. While on the lead, Ruffian broke the sesamoid bone in her leg. She continued to run, further damaging her leg, for another hundred yards, trying to finish the race. Post-surgery, she did even further damage to herself in panic, and finally had to be euthanized. Technically, Foolish Pleasure had "won", and it was several more years before other owners and trainers would risk entering females into the Kentucky Derby and other male-dominated races.

Foolish Pleasure was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1995 and in the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, he was ranked #97.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/foolish+pleasure Foolish Pleasure's pedigree]
* [http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2006/derby_history/derby_charts/years/1975.html Foolish Pleasure's Kentucky Derby]