In memory of the legendary Ron Turcotte

Ron Turcotte (22 July 1941 to 22 August 2025) was the jockey who partnered Secretariat, the fastest Thoroughbred racehorse in history.

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Turcotte was a well-known Canadian jockey, best known for riding Secretariat to win the United States Triple Crown in 1973.

He won all three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont in record time.

Secretariat was the first of three horses in the history of the Kentucky Derby who ran the famous race in less than two minutes. The other two horses were Sham and Monarchos but Secretariat’s record still stands.

Turcotte was born on 22 July 1941 in Drummond, New Brunswick, Canada. He was one of 12 children. He left school at the age of 14 to work with his father as a lumberjack. At age 18 he headed to Toronto looking for construction work.

FROM CONSTRUCTION TO HORSES