Hall of Fame Jockey Ron Turcotte Dies at 84

Drummond, New Brunswick, August 23, 2025 - Ron Turcotte, the Hall of Fame jockey who rode Secretariat to the 1973 Triple Crown, died today at his home in Drummond, New Brunswick. He was 84.

Turcotte’s family, via his friend and business partner Leonard Lusky, confirmed he died of natural causes. In nearly two decades until 1978, Turcotte won 3,032 races. He also swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes twice. His historic Triple Crown with Secretariat ended a 25-year drought in the sport.

““Ron was a great jockey and an inspiration to so many, both within and outside the racing world,” Lusky said. ““Even with his career success, his real greatness lay in his faith, courage, and kindness.”

Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by an incredible 31 lengths, finishing in 2:24. This victory forever marked Turcotte in racing history. ““I still had a lot of horse when I passed the wire,” Turcotte reflected in 2023, nearly 50 years after the feat.

After his career-ending accident, Turcotte focused on helping injured riders. He joined the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund. Many praised him as “one of the sport’s greatest champions and ambassadors.” He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 1979. He also received honors in many other halls of fame in Canada and the U.S.

Turcotte is survived by his wife Gaetane, their children and grandchildren. His family saw him as “a wonderful husband, a loving father and grandfather, and a great horseman.”