The saddle Ron Turcotte used in Secretariat's Triple Crown victory sold for $1.524 million at Christie's auction house on Thursday, March 12. The price was a record amount for a piece of racing memorabilia.
The hammer fell at $1.2 million, with the price reaching $1.524 million including the buyer's premium-an additional fee charged by the auction house to the winning bidder to cover the costs of the sale.
The saddle was offered by the Jim Irsay Collection on behalf of the late owner of the Indianapolis Colts, who acquired it privately from Turcotte in February, 2023, almost 50 years after Secretariat's record-breaking run in the Triple Crown, according to the auction house. It came with four removable lead weights inscribed with Turcotte's name, a framed and signed photo of Secretariat's Belmont win, a letter of authenticity signed by Turcotte, other photos, and a Newsweek magazine featuring Secretariat on the cover.
The saddle was hand-crafted and custom-made for Turcotte by saddle maker Lee Wincher just before the 1972 Bluegrass Stakes. Turcotte called the saddle his “Big-Race” saddle, as it was designed to carry the heavier weights horses would be assigned in major stakes races. According to Christie's, he also used the saddle aboard Riva Ridge in his 1972 campaign, which included wins in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.
Irsay passed away May 21, 2025, leading his family to sell his large collection of sporting memorabilia at Christie's on Thursday. Turcotte died three months later, at the age of 84.
Christie's did not release the name of the buyer.
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