Lucien Laurin, trainer of the brilliant 1973 American Triple Crown winner Secretariat, died on Sunday night at a South Florida hospital. The 88-year-old had suffered a broken leg after getting out of his car and was taken to the hospital. Born in the Canadian province of Quebec, Laurin joined the Chenery family's Meadow Stable in the early 1970s, and his best horses included champions Secretariat and Riva Ridge.
As well as landing the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes and Preakness Stakes) Secretariat also claimed Horse of the Year on two occasions. Riva Ridge, who had come along a year earlier, won the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Laurin stayed on with Meadow Stable until resigning in 1976. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame at Saratoga Springs in 1977 and into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame the following year. His survivors include his wife, Juliette, and their son, Roger, a retired trainer.
