Hall of Fame Jockey Turcotte Out of Hospital
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Ron Turcotte, who rode Secretariat to victory in the 1973 Triple Crown, is out of the hospital six weeks after breaking his legs in a one-vehicle crash, and is working on picking a winner for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I).
Turcotte's spokesman Leonard Lusky said April 21 that the Hall of Fame jockey was home with his family and ''catching up on world affairs and current racing news.''
The 73-year-old Turcotte, who has been paralyzed from the waist down after a riding spill in 1978, was hurt when the van he was driving hit an icy patch and flipped on its side on the Trans-Canada Highway near his home in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, last month, police said.
Lusky said Turcotte's recovery is going well, and his legs ''appear to be mending in good order.''
He added that the casts on Turcotte's legs are expected to be removed in the next two weeks. His physical therapy will continue at home.
As for the Derby on May 2, Lusky said Turcotte likes the three favorites—American Pharoah, Dortmund, and Carpe Diem.
Turcotte told Lusky, ''All look tough, and it sure doesn't hurt that each is a descendant of Secretariat.''