Ron Turcotte died of natural causes at age 84 at his home in Drummond, New Brunswick. He was a Hall of Fame jockey best known for riding Secretariat to the 1973 Triple Crown and for winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes twice each. Secretariat's Belmont time of 2:24 and 31-length victory at 1 1/2 miles remains a record 52 years later. Turcotte compiled 3,032 career victories over nearly two decades. His riding career ended after a fall in 1978 that left him paraplegic. He was praised for advocacy helping fellow injured riders and remembered for faith, courage and kindness.
Ron was a great jockey and an inspiration to so many, both within and outside the racing world,
While he reached the pinnacle of success in his vocation, it was his abundance of faith, courage, and kindness that was the true measure of his greatness.
I still had a lot of horse when I passed the wire, He was not tired. ... It was amazing.
While his courage as a jockey was on full display to a nation of adoring fans during that electrifying time, it was after he faced a life altering injury that we learned about the true character of Ron Turcotte, By devoting himself to supporting fellow jockeys struggling through similar injuries, Ron Turcotte built a legacy defined by kindness and compassion.
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