The Last Link to Greatness: Ron Turcotte’s Final Chapter Closes
The racing world lost more than just a Hall of Fame jockey on Friday. When Ron Turcotte passed away at 84 in his New Brunswick home, something irreplaceable left us forever. He was the final human connection to what many consider the greatest performance in sports history. How will he be remembered?
A Champion’s Quiet Farewell
There was no fanfare when Turcotte drew his last breath, no thundering hooves or roaring crowds. Just the gentle passing of a man who once commanded the attention of an entire nation while perched atop the most magnificent racehorse ever to grace American soil. His family gathered close as natural causes claimed the rider who had defied the impossible alongside Secretariat more than half a century ago.
The irony cuts deep. This giant of the sport, who once soared across finish lines with breathtaking dominance, spent his final decades confined to a wheelchair. The cruel price of a profession that demands everything from those brave enough to pursue it. Yet those who knew Turcotte best speak not of what racing took from him, but of what he gave to others long after his riding days ended.
The Weight of Being the Last One Standing
For years, Turcotte carried a burden few could understand. He was the sole survivor of Secretariat’s legendary team, watching helplessly as death claimed his companions one by one. Owner Penny Chenery departed in 2017, trainer Lucien Laurin in 2000, the devoted groom Eddie Sweat in 1998, and exercise rider Charlie Davis in 2018. Even the great horse himself had been gone since 1989, leaving behind 663 offspring but an irreplaceable void in racing lore.
Now that final thread has been severed. The last person who felt Secretariat’s power beneath him, who experienced firsthand the raw athleticism that redefined what was possible in thoroughbred racing, has joined his teammates in whatever realm awaits racing legends.
Turcotte’s Path To Immortality
The jockey’s journey to racing immortality began in the humblest circumstances. Born into a family of 12 children in rural New Brunswick, Turcotte abandoned his education to work as a lumberjack. His migration to Toronto’s racing scene started with the unglamorous job of hotwalking horses, but his natural talent quickly elevated him to jockey status.
Before Secretariat transformed him into a household name, Turcotte had already proven his mettle. He guided Riva Ridge to victory in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes in 1972, and had captured the Preakness aboard Tom Rolfe seven years earlier. These triumphs established his credentials, but they pale in comparison to what came next.
The Magic of 1973: When Time Stood Still
The spring and summer of 1973 belonged to Turcotte and Secretariat in ways that transcend typical athletic achievement. Their Kentucky Derby victory shattered a track record that had stood for decades. The Preakness followed suit with another record-breaking performance. But it was the Belmont Stakes where they achieved something approaching the mystical.
Thirty-one lengths. The number still sends chills down the spines of racing enthusiasts. Turcotte later recalled having “a lot of horse” left when they crossed the finish line, a testament to Secretariat’s otherworldly capabilities. The time, 2 minutes and 24 seconds for a mile and a half, remains untouched more than five decades later, a monument to perfection that grows more remarkable with each passing year.
“I could make five, six moves with him in a race,” Turcotte reflected in 2023. “A normal horse you could make one or two. Down the lane I never asked him to run. He just galloped to the wire very easily.”
When Dreams Turn To Nightmares
Racing’s cruel irony struck Turcotte at Belmont Park in 1978. The same venue where he had achieved his greatest triumph. A routine spill that jockeys face countless times throughout their careers became life-altering when his fall rendered him a paraplegic. The man who once flew through the air with the greatest of ease would spend the remainder of his life earthbound, his racing career ended at age 37.
Yet this devastating setback revealed the true measure of Turcotte’s character. Rather than retreating into bitterness, he became a fierce advocate for injured jockeys, dedicating himself to supporting others who faced similar challenges. The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund found no stronger champion than the man who understood their struggles intimately.
A Legacy That Transcends Statistics
Turcotte’s career numbers, 3,032 victories and nearly $29 million in prize money, tell only part of his story. What the statistics cannot capture is the grace with which he carried himself, both in triumph and tragedy. Leonard Lusky, his longtime business partner and friend, perhaps said it best: “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.”
His family’s words echo that sentiment. “The world may remember Ron as the famous jockey of Secretariat, but to us he was a wonderful husband, a loving father, grandfather, and a great horseman.”
The Final Farewell
As bronze statues at Pimlico and Belmont Park continue to immortalize Turcotte astride Secretariat, racing fans must grapple with a harsh reality. The last living witness to one of sport’s most transcendent moments has taken his final bow. No one remains who can speak firsthand of what it felt like to guide that magnificent red stallion to glory, of the sensation of riding greatness itself.
Turcotte’s death marks more than the end of a remarkable life. It closes the final chapter on an era when horse racing commanded the nation’s attention, when a jockey and his mount could unite a country in shared wonder. In losing Ron Turcotte, we have lost our last tangible link to a moment when time seemed to stop, and excellence achieved something approaching perfection.
He leaves behind his wife Gaetane, his partner of nearly six decades, and daughters Lynn, Ann, Tina, and Tammy. But his true legacy belongs to every racing fan who still gets goosebumps when watching Secretariat’s Belmont Stakes victory, and to every young jockey who dreams of achieving something truly extraordinary. The great Turcotte has crossed his final finish line. The racing world will never be quite the same.
