Lucien Laurin

Biography

Lucien Laurin began his career with racehorses as a jockey in 1929 at Blue Bonnets Raceway in Montreal. He won 161 races as a rider, including the 1935 King’s Plate aboard Sir Michael, before transitioning to a training career when making weight proved difficult. 

A native of Joliette, Quebec, Canada, Laurin sent out his first stakes winner in 1945, and two years later his career took off when he claimed a Count Fleet mare for owner Reginald Webster. The mare, Quick Touch, produced Quill, the 1958 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly, as well as three other stakes winners, all of which were conditioned by Laurin.

In 1966, Laurin saddled Amberoid to win the Belmont Stakes for Webster. Three years later, Laurin sent out Claiborne Farm’s talented colt Dike to win the Wood Memorial and run third in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont.

Laurin found his greatest success with Meadow Stable. In 1971, he sent out Hall of Famer Riva Ridge, the Champion-2-Year-Old Male. The next year, Riva Ridge won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes en route to Champion 3-Year-Old Male honors. Laurin won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in 1972.

Also in 1972, Laurin began training the great Secretariat. At 2, Secretariat won the Sanford Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, Futurity Stakes, Laurel Futurity, and Garden State Futurity en route to Horse of the Year and Champion 2-Year-Old Male honors. The next year, he was named Horse of the Year as he became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. Secretariat set track records in winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. 

Along with his six victories in classic races, Laurin won the Matron Stakes, Acorn Stakes, Mother Goose Stakes, Delaware Handicap, Saratoga Special, Hopeful Stakes (twice), Wood Memorial Stakes (four times), Carter  Handicap, Gotham Stakes (twice), Belmont Futurity (twice), Laurel Futurity (twice), Blue Grass Stakes, Florida Derby, Hollywood Derby, Sanford Stakes, Man o’ War Stakes, Brooklyn Handicap, and Canadian International Stakes, among others.

Laurin stepped away from training in 1976 but returned in 1983 with Evergreen Stable as trainer and with an ownership stake. In all, Laurin trained a total of 36 stakes winners. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1977 and was enshrined in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame the following year.

Achievements

Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer — 1972

Triple Crown Highlights

Won the 1972 Kentucky Derby — Riva Ridge 
Won the 1973 Kentucky Derby — Secretariat 
Won the 1973 Preakness Stakes — Secretariat 
Won the 1966 Belmont Stakes — Amberoid
Won the 1972 Belmont Stakes — Riva Ridge
Won the 1973 Belmont Stakes — Secretariat