Ron Turcotte

Biography

Winner of the 1973 Triple Crown aboard Meadow Stable’s Hall of Famer Secretariat, Ron Turcotte rode the two-time Horse of the Year to all but one of his stakes wins. Secretariat’s other victories with Turcotte aboard included the Sanford, Hopeful, Belmont Futurity, Laurel Futurity, Garden State, Bay Shore, Gotham, Arlington Invitational, Marlboro Cup, and Man o’ War. Turcotte was also the primary rider for Meadow Stable champion and Hall of Fame member Riva Ridge, winning the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont with him.

Born in Canada in 1941, Turcotte dropped out of school at age 14 to help support his family by working as a lumberjack. He eventually made his way to the racetrack, beginning his association with the sport in Toronto as a hot walker for E. P. Taylor’s Windfields Farm in 1959.

Turcotte piloted his first winner at Fort Erie in 1962 and went on to ride Hall of Famers Damascus, Northern Dancer, Fort Marcy, Arts and Letters, Shuvee, Dahlia, and Dark Mirage in addition to the Meadow standouts. He won his first Triple Crown race with Tom Rolfe in the 1965 Preakness.

When Turcotte won the 1973 Derby with Secretariat, he became the first jockey since Jimmy Winkfield in 1902 to win back-to-back runnings of the race. Turcotte was North America’s leading stakes-winning jockey in 1972 and 1973. He was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1973.

Other major races won by Turcotte include the Canadian International Stakes (twice), Kentucky Oaks, Suburban Handicap, Bernard Baruch Handicap, Tremont Stakes, Beldame Stakes, Diana Handicap (three times), Hawthorne Gold Cup (twice), Jockey Club Gold Cup, Withers Stakes, Alabama Stakes, Flash Stakes, Belmont Futurity (twice), Champagne Stakes, Gotham Stakes (twice), Laurel Futurity (twice), Blue Grass Stakes, Coaching Club American Oaks, Florida Derby, Hopeful Stakes, Hollywood Derby, Manhattan Handicap, Sanford Stakes, Wood Memorial, Brooklyn Handicap, Man o’ War Stakes (twice), Matron Stakes, Travers Stakes, Dwyer Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, and Schuylerville Stakes, among others.

Overall, Turcotte won 3,032 races during his 18-year career. 

Achievements

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the 1972 Kentucky Derby — Riva Ridge
Won the 1973 Kentucky Derby — Secretariat
Won the 1965 Preakness Stakes — Tom Rolfe
Won the 1973 Preakness Stakes — Secretariat
Won the 1972 Belmont Stakes — Riva Ridge
Won the 1973 Belmont Stakes — Secretariat