Ron Turcotte and Secretariat Part 2

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - It was June 9th 1973 that Drummond’s Ron Turcotte and Secretariat made history. They claimed the first Triple Crown since 1948 and all three races went in record breaking time. Turcotte said he never had a doubt that Secretariat would win the Belmont and claim the triple crown.

Ron Turcotte:” Rene I am sitting here today, I was so certain to win the race. I told Lucien a couple of days before the race after his last workout. I told him, Lucien if this horse gets beat, I am going to hang up my tack meaning I would quit riding.”

Turcotte said that he changed his strategy during the race when he saw that the other jockeys were trying to slow the race down.

Turcotte:” Take a hold of him, but when I saw everybody wrapped on their horse I just let him go. He took the lead he was relaxed and was running with Sham and they were both relaxed.”

Secretariat took off and left the field in the dust winning by 31 lengths. Turcotte said he knew what he was doing, but spectators and others were probably questioning his strategy during the race

Turcotte:” They were all saying that was nuts it was crazy, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew very well what I was doing. I knew exactly what I had under me.”

One of the most famous pictures of the race had Turcotte looking over his shoulder.

Turcotte:” I kept hearing the announcer and how far I was in front and hearing the call of the race. That is the only time I looked back. I turned around I had to and I had to look across the track to see where the other horses were. The pictures they show all the time I was looking at the teletimer.”

Copyright 2023 WAGM. All rights reserved.