Ron Turcotte, Who Rode Secretariat To Triple Crown Glory, Dies Aged 84

Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, who rode Secretariat to nan Triple Crown successful 1973, has died. He was 84.

Turcotte’s family said done his longtime business partner and friend Leonard Lusky that nan Canada-born jockey died of earthy causes Friday astatine his location successful Drummond, New Brunswick.

He won nan Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes doubly each, astir notably sweeping nan 3 pinch Secretariat to extremity equine racing’s Triple Crown drought that dated to Citation successful 1948. Secretariat’s grounds clip of 2:24 successful nan Belmont, winning by 31 lengths, still stands 52 years later.

“Ron was a awesome jockey and an inspiration to truthful many, some wrong and extracurricular nan racing world,” Lusky said. “While he reached nan pinnacle of occurrence successful his vocation, it was his abundance of faith, courage, and kindness that was nan existent measurement of his greatness.”

Turcotte won much than 3,000 races complete a astir two-decade profession that ended successful 1978 erstwhile he fell disconnected a equine early successful a title and suffered injuries that made him paraplegic. Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund president William J Punk called Turcotte 1 of nan sport’s top champions and ambassadors and praised him for his defense and efforts to thief chap fallen riders.

He was inducted into nan National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame successful 1979.

“The world whitethorn retrieve Ron arsenic nan celebrated jockey of Secretariat, but to america he was a awesome husband, a loving father, grandfather, and a awesome horseman.” nan Turcotte family said successful a connection done Lusky.

Ron Turcotte poses adjacent to a statue of him and Secretariat successful Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada, successful May 2023. Photograph: Stephen MacGillivray/AP

Turcotte was calved successful Drummond connected 22 July 1941, arsenic 1 of 12 children. He discontinue schoolhouse to activity arsenic a lumberjack earlier moving to Toronto to get progressive successful equine racing, first arsenic a hotwalker and past a jockey, becoming nan starring rider astatine Woodbine Racetrack earlier rising to nan Triple Crown level.

Woodbine president Jim Lawson said Turcotte was “a existent Canadian icon whose effect connected equine racing is immeasurable”.

“Ron carried himself pinch humility, spot and dignity,” Lawson said. “His bequest successful racing, some present astatine Woodbine and astir nan world, will unrecorded forever.”

Turcotte won nan Preakness successful 1965 aboard Tom Rolfe and nan Derby successful 1972 pinch Riva Ridge. But it was his clip pinch Secretariat that made Turcotte a family sanction successful racing, and he called it “love astatine first ride.”

“He was nan type of equine that you’ll ne'er spot again,” Turcotte said successful 2023, astir 50 years to nan time since riding Secretariat successful nan Belmont. “He was doing thing that you’ve ne'er seen earlier and will astir apt ne'er spot again.”