OT: R.I.P. Ron Turcotte,

[MADHAT1]

Ron took Secretariat to the 1973 Triple Crown win
During his almost two-decade career, beginning in 1961, Turcotte won 3,023 races with lifetime earnings of more than $28 million. He was forced to retire in 1978 when, at 36, he suffered career-ending injuries in a spill at Belmont Park.
That accident caused Ron to be paralyzed from the waist down and ended his brilliant career
Ron also came close to taking the triple crown the year before

• 1972: Kentucky Derby (Riva Ridge)
• 1972: Belmont Stakes (Riva Ridge)
• 1972 Preakness Stakes (4th > Riva Ridge)

Turcotte also won the 1965 Preakness on Tom Rolfe

 

[MadRU]

RIP legend

 

[T2Kplus20]

Ron took Secretariat to the 1973 Triple Crown win
During his almost two-decade career, beginning in 1961, Turcotte won 3,023 races with lifetime earnings of more than $28 million. He was forced to retire in 1978 when, at 36, he suffered career-ending injuries in a spill at Belmont Park.
That accident caused Ron to be paralyzed from the waist down and ended his brilliant career
Ron also came close to taking the triple crown the year before

• 1972: Kentucky Derby (Riva Ridge)
• 1972: Belmont Stakes (Riva Ridge)
• 1972 Preakness Stakes (4th > Riva Ridge)

Turcotte also won the 1965 Preakness on Tom Rolfe

RIP, he was great for the NY Rangers.

 

[Colbert17!]

When I was in Kentucky this summer I toured Claiborne Farms. Final resting place of Secretariat.

 

[RUdad]

When I was in Kentucky this summer I toured Claiborne Farms. Final resting place of Secretariat.

What a horse with a great Joc. RIP Ron.

 

[GSGS]

Secretariat's Belmont was the single greatest athletic performance of my lifetime. Big Red tied the world record for 1 mile and 1/8 during the race, despite the fact that such a pace was contrary to any sane strategy for running a 1.5 mile race. Instead of tiring, he kept rocketing, as the lead increased to 31 lengths (84 yards to football fans) and he set a still standing world record for the mile and a half on a dirt track. All the so-called experts expected Secretariat to drop dead in the stretch after that torrid pace, but Ronnie knew his horse had great stamina and was up for the challenge.

Turcotte was the last surviving member of the Secretariat team, and a tremendous ambassador for the sport. RIP Ronnie.

 

[Colbert17!]

Secretariat's Belmont was the single greatest athletic performance of my lifetime. Big Red tied the world record for 1 mile and 1/8 during the race, despite the fact that such a pace was contrary to any sane strategy for running a 1.5 mile race. Instead of tiring, he kept rocketing, as the lead increased to 31 lengths (84 yards to football fans) and he set a still standing world record for the mile and a half on a dirt track. All the so-called experts expected Secretariat to drop dead in the stretch after that torrid pace, but Ronnie knew his horse had great stamina and was up for the challenge.

Turcotte was the last surviving member of the Secretariat team, and a tremendous ambassador for the sport. RIP Ronnie.

The trainer at Claiborne said that when Secretariat died and they did an autopsy they found that his heart was seven times the normal size for a horse his size.

 

[24Babybull]

Yup - crazy performance.

 

[GSGS]

"Secretariat has accomplished the unbelievable task of breaking the mile and a half record by 2 and 3/5ths seconds. That is a record that may stand forever."

Great race call by Chic Anderson, even after the race was over. Given that Big Red's record setting time has not even been approached, Anderson's prediction very well may stand the test of time.