Ron Turcotte facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ron Turcotte |
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Ron Turcotte at the 2014 Belmont Stakes
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | July 22, 1941 Drummond, New Brunswick Canada |
| Career wins | 3,032 |
| Major racing wins | |
| Breeders' Stakes (1962) Coronation Futurity Stakes (1963) Toronto Autumn Cup (1963) Canadian International Stakes (1964, 1971) Lexington Handicap (1964, 1974) Kentucky Oaks (1965) Sport Page Handicap (1966) Palm Beach Handicap (1966, 1967, 1969, 1970) Suburban Handicap (1966) Bernard Baruch Handicap (1967) Tremont Stakes (1967) National Stallion Stakes (1968) Bahamas Stakes (1969) Beldame Stakes (1970) Diana Handicap (1970, 1971, 1976) Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (1970, 1979) Jockey Club Gold Cup (1970) Withers Stakes (1970) Alabama Stakes (1971) Flash Stakes (1971) Belmont Futurity Stakes (1971, 1972) Champagne Stakes (1971) Gotham Stakes (1971, 1973) Laurel Futurity (1971, 1972) Blue Grass Stakes (1972) Coaching Club American Oaks (1972) Florida Derby (1972) Great American Stakes (1972) Hopeful Stakes (1972) Hollywood Derby (1972) Manhattan Handicap (1972) Monmouth Oaks (1972) Sanford Stakes (1972) Wood Memorial Stakes (1972) Brooklyn Handicap (1973) Excelsior Breeders' Cup Handicap (1973) Man O' War Stakes (1973, 1974) Matron Stakes (1973) Travers Stakes (1973) Dwyer Stakes (1974) Edgemere Handicap (1974, 1976) Santa Anita Handicap (1974) Cornhusker Handicap (1975) Queens County Handicap (1975) American Derby (1976) Aqueduct Handicap (1976) Stymie Handicap (1976, 1977) Alcibiades Stakes (1977) Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (1977) Adirondack Stakes (1977) Cup and Saucer Stakes (1977) Schuylerville Stakes (1977) Stars and Stripes Turf Handicap (1978) American Classic Race wins: |
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| Racing awards | |
| Leading jockey at Woodbine Racetrack (1962, 1963) Canadian Racing's Man-of-the-Year (1978) Big Sport of Turfdom Award (1978) George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (1979) Avelino Gomez Memorial Award (1984) |
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| Honours | |
| New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame (1973) Order of Canada (1974) National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (1979) New York Sports Hall of Fame Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (1980) Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (1980) Hawthorne Racing Hall of Fame (1986) Paul Harris Fellowship Long Island Sports Hall of Fame (1990) |
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| Significant horses | |
| Arts and Letters, Crafty Lace, Dahlia, Damascus, Dark Mirage, Fanfreluche, Fort Marcy, Northern Dancer, Politely, Quadrangle, Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Shuvee, Tom Rolfe, Upper Case |
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Ronald Joseph Morel "Ronnie" Turcotte, born on July 22, 1941, is a retired Canadian thoroughbred race horse jockey. He is most famous for riding the legendary racehorse Secretariat. Together, they won the prestigious U.S. Triple Crown in 1973.
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Ron Turcotte's Racing Career
Ron Turcotte started his journey in horse racing in 1960 in Toronto. He began as a "hot walker" at E. P. Taylor's Windfields Farm. A hot walker helps cool down horses after they exercise or race. Soon, he was riding horses and winning races as an apprentice jockey. One of his early wins was with Northern Dancer, a famous horse from Windfields Farm.
Early Victories and Partnerships
In 1965, Turcotte gained more attention by winning the Preakness Stakes with a horse named Tom Rolfe. He later teamed up with Canadian trainer Lucien Laurin at the racetrack in Laurel, Maryland. This partnership would lead to many successes.
Winning the Triple Crown Races
In 1972, Ron Turcotte rode Riva Ridge to victory in two major races: the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. These are two of the three races that make up the Triple Crown.
Secretariat and the 1973 Triple Crown
Ron Turcotte became known worldwide in 1973. He rode Secretariat to win the Triple Crown, which was the first time this had happened in 25 years. Secretariat set new speed records in all three races. In the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat finished an amazing 31 lengths ahead of the other horses. A famous photo shows Secretariat winning, with Turcotte looking back at the horses far behind.
Turcotte was the top jockey for winning important races in North America in both 1972 and 1973. He was also the first jockey since 1902 to win the Kentucky Derby two years in a row. He holds a unique record, being the first jockey to win five out of six Triple Crown races in a row.
Awards and Recognition
Ron Turcotte received the respected George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. This award honors a rider whose career and behavior show the best qualities in horse racing. He was also the first person from thoroughbred racing to become a member of the Order of Canada. This is a very high honor in Canada.
He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1980, he was also added to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. In 1984, he was the first person to receive the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award. This award goes to a Canadian jockey who has greatly helped the sport.
In 2015, a statue of Secretariat and Turcotte crossing the finish line at the Belmont Stakes was put up in Turcotte's hometown.
Career-Ending Accident
Ron Turcotte's racing career ended on July 13, 1978. He fell from his horse during a race at Belmont Park. He was injured and became a paraplegic, which means he uses a wheelchair.
Ron Turcotte's Personal Life
Ron Turcotte was born in Drummond, New Brunswick, and was one of 12 children. He left school at age 14 to work with his father as a lumberjack. At 18, he moved to Toronto to find construction work.
Today, Turcotte lives in his hometown of Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada. He lives with his wife, Gaëtane, and their four daughters. He is a strong supporter for people with disabilities. He helps raise money for programs that assist them.
Turcotte often visits racetracks to help raise money and awareness for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). This fund helps jockeys who have been injured during races.
In March 2015, Turcotte was in a car accident in New Brunswick. The van he was driving hit a snowbank and flipped over. He broke both of his legs, but his friend who was with him had only minor injuries.
Ron Turcotte in Media
Ron Turcotte's story has been featured in movies and documentaries.
- In the 2010 Disney movie Secretariat, Ron Turcotte's role was played by Otto Thorwarth. Otto Thorwarth is a real-life jockey.
- A documentary film about Ron Turcotte's life and career was released in 2013. It is called Secretariat's Jockey, Ron Turcotte. The film was directed by Phil Comeau and made by the National Film Board of Canada.
