Secretariat’s jockey, Ron Turcotte, passed away Friday at the age of 84.
The news was confirmed by the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in a statement reading: “Ron was a legendary rider and also an inspiration for all he achieved and overcame during his incredible life. Although best known for sweeping the Triple Crown with Secretariat–culminating with a 31-length victory in the 1973 Belmont Stakes–Turcotte’s Hall of Fame career spanned 18 years and more than 3,000 wins. As an ambassador for both the sport and the legacy of the great Secretariat, Ron made countless people into fans of racing through his kindness and the time he gave to all, whether telling stories about Big Red, signing autographs, or posing for pictures. He was a fierce competitor on the track and a gentleman off of it. He will forever be remembered as one of the game’s greats.”
Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1979, Turcotte won 3,032 races, but will always be remembered as the primary rider for the great Secretariat.
Turcotte did not ride Secretariat in his first two races. Apprentice Paul Feliciano did. Turcotte took over for a 1972 allowance race at Saratoga and, for the next 18 races, Turcotte and Secretariat put on a show unlike anything racing had seen in several decades.
Winning the Sanford, Hopeful, Futurity, the Laurel Futurity and the Garden State Stakes as a 2-year-old, Secretariat was named 1972 Horse of the Year. He repeated that feat in1973, thanks in large part to a historic romp through the Triple Crown races. The best of the best came in the Belmont Stakes, which Secretariat won by 31 lengths. The horse was running so fast early that some worried that Turcotte had blown the race and that Secretarial would have nothing left for the stretch.
“I knew we were putting Sham and the rest far behind us with Secretariat’s long, loping strides,” Turcotte told Tom Pedulla in 2018. “I knew he was going to have no trouble getting the mile and a half. I peeked and the other horses must have been 15-20 lengths behind. Now, the only race was against the clock.”
Turcotte referenced the timing issue at the Preakness, where the official time was 1:55, but several observers hand-timed him as fast as 1:53 2/5, more than enough to break the record.
“After the Preakness timing controversy, I wanted Secretariat to set a record that would stand a long time. With 70 yards to go, I chirped to him to make sure he did not lose focus. He responded by finding still another gear. Sure that the race was won, that Secretariat would be the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years, I was able to soak in everything. The crowd that was going wild. The teletimer. Track announcer Chic Anderson’s memorable race call. ‘Secretariat is widening now. He is moving like a tremendous machine!’”`
Ron Turcotte and Secretariat’s unforgettable Belmont win | NYRA Photo
Due to a careless riding suspension, Turcotte was not available to ride Secretariat in his final start, the GII Canadian International at Woodbine. The mount went to Eddie Maple.
With trainer Lucien Laurin having passed away in 2000 and owner Penny Tweedy in 2017, Turcotte was the last remaining member of the trio that directed Secretariat’s career.
Born in Drummond, New Brunswick, Canada in 1941 and one of 12 children, he left school at 14 to work with his father as a lumberjack. A few years later, he would begin his career in racing in 1960, working as a hotwalker at E.P. Taylor’s Windfields Farm. Riding in his native country at the start of his career, he won his first race in 1962. A year later and still an apprentice, Turcotte was aboard Northern Dancer when he made his debut a winning one in 1963 at Fort Erie.
In 1965, he won his first Triple Crown race, capturing the Preakness with Tom Rolfe.
Turcotte would eventually find his way to the New York tracks, where he established himself as one of the top jockeys in the nation. He developed a working relationship with Laurin, who gave him the mount on another Hall of Famer, Riva Ridge. With Turcotte aboard, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont in 1972. A fourth-place finish in the Preakness was sandwiched in between. A year later, Turcotte became the first jockey in seventy years to win back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Derby.
During an 18-year career, his other notable wins include the Kentucky Oaks, the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the Florida Derby, the Travers, the Alabama, the Wood Memorial and the Santa Anita Handicap. He led all riders in stakes wins in 1972 and 1973.
Turcotte’s career ended tragically on July 13, 1978 when he was involved in a spill at Belmont Park when aboard a filly named Flag of Leyte Gulf. The injuries left him a paraplegic.
“What’s under the bridge is gone,” Turcotte told writer Eddie Donnally in 1988. “It’s funny how you seem to forget the bad memories. You don’t remember the hard times. They just seem to evaporate. I’ve accepted what happened, but I haven’t accepted my condition. I still hold out hope I will walk.”
Turcotte never did walk again, but he stayed active in the sport, making numerous appearances at racetracks to celebrate his career and to raise awareness for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. After his career ended, he moved back to New Brunswick and settled in the town of Grand Falls. In 2015, Grand Falls honored him with a life-sized statue of him riding Secretariat.
“I have received many awards and trophies from all over, but to have my own town honor me in this way is very special to me and my family,” said Turcotte. “It is very touching, believe me. It made me cry a few times there.”
In addition to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, Turcotte has been inducted into, among others, the Canadian Racing Hall of Fame and the New York Sports Hall of Fame. He has received the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award, the George Woolf Memorial Award and Sovereign Award, Canada’s version of the Eclipse Awards. Turcotte was named French Canadian Athlete-of-the-Year in 1973 and was the first person from Thoroughbred racing ever to be appointed a member of the Order of Canada.
The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund Chairman William Punk, Jr. released a statement following Turcotte’s passing Friday, saying: “The Board of Directors of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and its recipients mourn the passing of one our greatest champions and ambassadors. Ron’s tireless advocacy and efforts on behalf of his fellow fallen rider is beyond measure. Although he is appropriately recognized as a member of the Racing Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in the saddle, his contributions to the PDJF established him as a giant in the hearts of all associated with this organization. His memory and his impact will live on forever. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gaetane, their daughters and his family and friends at this difficult time.”
The National HBPA added, “The National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association joins the entire racing community in mourning the passing of Ron Turcotte, one of the sport’s most celebrated and beloved jockeys. Best remembered as the rider of Secretariat during the unforgettable 1973 Triple Crown, Ron’s place in racing history is secure. Yet beyond the record-breaking victories, he was admired for his humility, courage and lifelong dedication to Thoroughbred racing. His legacy will forever be intertwined with the greatness of our sport. On behalf of horsemen and horsewomen across the country, we extend our deepest condolences to Ron’s family, friends and all who were touched by his remarkable life.”
This post will be updated.