July 22, 2024

Our dear friend, Ron Turcotte, won 3,032 races during his 18 years as a jockey.  Three of those races propelled him and Secretariat into the realm of legend. Of course, we’re referring to the 1973 Triple Crown races – the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, whose track records still stand today.

With that stunning achievement, Ron became the first jockey since 1902 to win back-to-back Derbys, and the only jockey at the time to win five of the six consecutive Triple Crown races.   That includes winning the 1972 Derby and Belmont on Meadow Stable’s Riva Ridge, Secretariat’s older stablemate.   

Ron played a pivotal role in the success of both Riva Ridge and Secretariat. He devoted extra time to a young and timid Riva Ridge, helping him gain more confidence on the racetrack.  The colt consequently won $500,000 as a two-year-old in 1971.  Those winnings helped save the then-faltering stable from the auction block.   Ron also convinced trainer Lucien Laurin to cut larger slits in Riva’s racing blinkers just before the 1972 Kentucky Derby. Riva won the Derby, the lifelong dream of Meadow Stable founder Christopher Chenery.

Secretariat was a different horse altogether.  Ron’s experience and intuition were a strategic asset, as he knew when to let Secretariat do what he wanted. For all his power and spirit, Secretariat was an easy horse to ride, according to Ron in an interview. When they were blazing down the track at the Belmont, defying all limits, Ron was not worried about Secretariat burning out because he “knew what he had under him.”

As Ron and his family in Canada and countless admirers everywhere celebrate his 83rd birthday, we wish to thank him for all he has done to keep the story of “Big Red” alive for these many years.  From media interviews, documentaries, special events, books and numerous awards, this Hall of Fame jockey is truly a beloved ambassador of racing.

We also want Ron to know that his presence is very much felt here in Ashland, Virginia with the magnificent monument “Secretariat Racing into History.”  Sculptor Jocelyn Russell dynamically bonded Secretariat and Ron together in bronze, charging toward their iconic victory in the Belmont. In a special touch, she embedded Ron’s personal signature in his right riding boot.  

Just one of many ways Ron Turcotte has left his indelible mark in life. With much love, we wish him many more birthdays filled with the kind of happiness he brings to his fans.

Leeanne Meadows Ladin and the Tweedy family

7.22.24