Don Pierce, who won 3,546 races over a 30-year career that led to his election to the Hall of Fame, has died. He was 89.
Pierce died Monday in Denton, Texas, according to a media release Thursday from his brother Larry, who was a former AGASO and National Racing Museum and Hall of Famer.
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Pierce began his career with a victory in the first race at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico in 1954, and went on to dominate in Southern California before retiring in 1984.
He won the state’s signature race for older horses, the Santa Anita Trail, four times. Pierce also won the Los Angeles Handicap from 1969-1973, as well as five editions of the Santa Anita Oaks.
He won the Del Mar Debutante and Hollywood Oaks four times, the Del Mar Derby three times and the Santa Anita Derby twice.
In 1973 he won all North American drivers with 32 stakes. Pierce became known as one of the best riders in the money, often battling with friend and racing partner Bill Sutor for victories.
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“If the shoe didn’t win, I did,” Pierce said. “I went that long. I was really lucky in those races. I was always in the right place. I rode a lot of horses because I couldn’t ride so many accidents.”
Pierce was coached by Hall of Fame coaches William Molter, Charlie Whittingham and Robert Wheeler.
He also enjoyed success in New York. He won the riding title at Belmont Park and captured several of Saratoga’s most prestigious races, including Hope and Jim Dandy.
Among the top horses Pierce rode were Ack Ack, Flying Shepherd, Legendary Concept, B. Thinking, Triple Bend and Princenessian, with which males he won the 1968 Hollywood Gold Cup to take the five-row day.
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Pierce won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1967, which honors a jockey whose career and personal behavior emulate those of the sport.
He rode in the Kentucky Derby five times, with his best result being a fourth-place finish in 1980 aboard Super Momentum. He finished fourth in the Preakness with Flying Shepherd in 1979.
He had career earnings of $39,018,422 and was elected to the National Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.
Born in Clebit, Oklahoma, on April 13, 1937, he later moved to Oregon with his family. That’s where Pierce worked on the farm and the cattle and sheep. He met a man who suggested that he become an agaso, using the size and experience of horses. The man told Park in Southern California to Hollywood.
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“I told my mom I wanted to go and hitchhike,” Pierce said. “Well, he said, he didn’t want me to do it, and he would give me money for the bus ticket. Well, I took the money and hitchhiked anyway.”
After arriving at Hollywood Park, the preferred meeting headed south to Del Mar Stadium, where the newly thinned-out race was ridden by trainer Jack Howard. From there, Pierce went to Arizona and earned a contract to ride in the 17th century.
Over the years Pierce has become known as one of the big money riders in the game.
“I don’t know where,” Pierce said. “It’s probably because I won so many stakes. I won 351 stakes and that’s when I only had one week. Plus I had a buck shoe that was always on the best horse.” Pierce lived near Del Mar for a number of years on vacation and used to go to work as part of the clockers’ crew that trains for untimely morning workouts north of San Diego.