Jim Irsay, owner of the NFL Indianapolis Colts and a renowned collector of American pop culture and historical memorabilia, acquired the saddle used on the Secretariat when he won the American. Triple Crown 50 years ago in 1973.
Irsay bought the saddle from Hall of Fame jockey Ron Turcotte, now 81, who has ridden The Secretariat in the Triple Crown series and has made all but three starts in the champion’s lifetime. .
“This particular saddle represents the most magical period of my racing career and its personal significance to me and my family cannot be expressed in words,” said Turcotte from his home in New York. Brunswick, Canada said. “I have had the honor of keeping it safe and secure for almost 50 years, and now is the time for others to enjoy the treasures of my collection. I am grateful to the Jim Irsay Collection for recognized the historical importance of the saddle and made it and the story of the Secretariat available to current and future generations.”
The saddle will be on display for the first time on March 4 at the Downtown Las Vegas Event Center during a free, one-night concert by the Jim Irsay Band and the Jim Irsay Collection exhibit. This event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. To book tickets, visit jimirsaycollection.com.
Irsay’s passion for rock led him to assemble instruments and objects owned and used by some of the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, James Brown , Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, Bo Diddley, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and John Coltrane.
Additionally, Irsay’s love of American history and popular culture has led him to grow his collection with items such as:
- Print copy of William J. Stone’s 1823 Declaration of Independence, one of the first exact “replicas” of the final signed document;
- Artifacts and documents signed by many US Presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy;
- Handwritten documents and artifacts from women’s suffrage pioneer Susan B. Anthony;
- Original manuscript for The Great Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, the organization’s founding document;
- Famous American author Jack Kerouac’s Original 119-foot On the Road scroll;
- Original handwritten script and notes for the film Rocky by Sylvester Stallone;
- A bat used by Jackie Robinson in the game from 1953 (the year the Colts were founded); And
- Muhammad Ali’s championship belt after his victory over George Foreman in “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974 and his boxing shoes in “Thrilla’ in Manilla” in 1975 against Joe Frazier.
“It’s very well organized,” Irsay told Bloomberg.com last year of her collection, which includes about 80 pieces and is valued at an estimated $100 million. “There’s a reason why it’s heavy on Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy memorabilia, it’s heavy on The Beatles, especially John Lennon. Like, if you buy stocks, you buy McDonald’s, Coca-Cola. -Cola, big companies. And I’m buying the biggest difference-makers among the big guys.”
An active philanthropist, Irsay regularly lends items to museums, nonprofits, and other organizations for display and research. Irsay has also held free exhibitions of the collection in Nashville, Tenn., Washington, DC, Austin, Tex., Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Indianapolis, and San Francisco. More dates are planned for 2023 and beyond.
This press release has been edited by BloodHorse Staff for content and style.
