Secretariat Jockey Ron Turcotte Dies at 84

Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, best known for riding Secretariat to the 1973 Triple Crown, died Friday of natural causes at his home in Drummond, New Brunswick, his family said. He was 84. Turcotte’s partnership with Secretariat produced some of horse racing’s most enduring moments, including the record-shattering Belmont Stakes victory in 2:24 with a 31-length margin that still stands. Over a career that spanned nearly two decades, the Canadian rider logged 3,032 wins and $28.6 million in purse earnings, also steering Tom Rolfe to the 1965 Preakness and Riva Ridge to the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont. His riding days ended in 1978 when a race fall left him paraplegic, but Turcotte remained an advocate for disabled jockeys and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame the following year. Colleagues and family remembered him as a pioneer whose humility matched his accomplishments.