Ron Turcotte, Secretariat’s Hall of Fame rider, dies at 84

Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, best known for piloting 1973 Triple Crown legend Secretariat, passed away Friday at the age of 84 in his native New Brunswick, Canada. 

Tributes poured in from around the racing industry, honoring Turcotte not only for his achievements on the racetrack but also for his life of service after a tragic end to his career. Paralyzed in a spill at Belmont Park in 1978, Turcotte became a stalwart advocate for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF).

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame issued the following statement regarding Turcotte’s impact on the sport:

“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.”

David O’Rourke, the President & CEO of The New York Racing Association, offered his own recollection: 

“Ron Turcotte will be forever remembered for guiding Secretariat to Triple Crown glory in 1973. While his courage as a jockey was on full display to a nation of adoring fans during that electrifying time, it was after he faced a life-altering injury that we learned about the true character of Ron Turcotte. 

“By devoting himself to supporting fellow jockeys struggling through similar injuries, Ron Turcotte built a legacy defined by kindness and compassion. NYRA extends our sympathies to Ron Turcotte’s family and friends, and we join the horse racing community in mourning his loss.”

Jim Lawson, the Executive Chair of Woodbine Entertainment, memorialized Turcotte as a fellow Canadian:

“Ron Turcotte was a true Canadian icon whose impact on horse racing is immeasurable. “From his incredible journey aboard Secretariat to his lifelong commitment to the sport, Ron carried himself with humility, strength, and dignity.

“His legacy in racing, both here at Woodbine and around the world, will live forever. We mourn his loss and celebrate a life that inspired many.”

Turcotte was born on July 22, 1941, in the New Brunswick village of Drummond, now incorporated into the town of Grand Falls. The third-oldest of 12 children, he left school at 14 and initially worked as a lumberjack. He soon found his true calling at the racetrack, progressing from hotwalker to exercise rider and jockey. 

After riding his first winner at Fort Erie in 1962, Turcotte rapidly became the leading rider in Canada. Among his notable mounts in his Woodbine days was a two-year-old by the name of Northern Dancer, who would become a history-maker of his own on the track and a breed-shaping sire.

Turcotte’s success opened up opportunities in the United States, where he scored his first Triple Crown race win aboard champion Tom Rolfe in the 1965 Preakness. Seven years later, Turcotte steered Meadow Stable’s Riva Ridge to victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont for Canadian horseman Lucien Laurin. 

That turned out to be just a prelude to the iconic 1973 Triple Crown sweep by Secretariat. Likewise trained by Laurin for Penny Chenery’s Meadow Stable, Secretariat was already overshadowing Riva Ridge as a juvenile. The big chestnut was voted Horse of the Year for his exploits in 1972, and his three-year-old season would prove even more historic.

No horse had won the Triple Crown for 25 years, since Citation in 1948. Secretariat ended the drought with a vengeance by sweeping all three classics in record times that still stand, more than half a century later. 

Driving home in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in 1:59 2/5, Secretariat made an explosive early move in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness and rolled in 1:53. Best of all was his conquest of the 1 1/2-mile Belmont by 31 lengths, in an other-worldly time of 2:24.

If Secretariat and Riva Ridge echo more in the memory because of their classic wins, Turcotte teamed up with other all-time greats, too. His famous mounts included Damascus, Dark Mirage, Arts and Letters, Fort Marcy, Shuvee, and Dahlia.

According to Equibase, Turcotte won 3,032 races, and his career earnings stood at more than $28.6 million. But his value to the world of Thoroughbred racing is incalculable. 

Named a member of the Order of Canada – the first Thoroughbred racing personality to be so honored – Turcotte received such accolades as the George Woolf Memorial Award, the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award, and the Big Sport of Turfdom Award. In addition to his Hall of Fame induction in Saratoga Springs, Turcotte is enshrined in several other “Halls,” including Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. 

Turcotte is survived by his wife, Gaetane, and their daughters, Lynn, Ann, Tina, and Tammy. The family would recommend, in lieu of flowers, donations to the PDJF in his memory.