Don Pierce, who won 3,546 races during a 30-year riding career that culminated in his election to racing’s Hall of Fame, has died. He was 89.
Pierce died Monday in Denton, Texas, according to social media posts on Thursday from his brother, Larry, who was a former jockey, and the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Pierce began his career with a victory on his first mount at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico in 1954 and went on to dominate the Southern California circuit before retiring in 1984.
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He won the state’s signature race for older horses, the Santa Anita Handicap, 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 led all North American jockeys with 32 stakes wins. Pierce became known as one of the best money riders, often battling it out with friend and fellow jockey Bill Shoemaker for victories.
“If Shoe didn’t win, I did,” Pierce said. “That went on for a long time. I was really lucky in those races. I was always in the right place at the right time. I rode a lot of horses Shoe couldn’t ride because he had so many chances.”
Pierce rode for Hall of Fame trainers William Molter, Charlie Whittingham and Robert Wheeler.
He also enjoyed plenty of success in New York. He won a riding title at Belmont Park and captured several of Saratoga’s most prestigious races, including the Hopeful and Jim Dandy.
Among the top horses Pierce rode were Ack Ack, Flying Paster, Fabulous Notion, B. Thoughtful, Triple Bend and Princessnessian, with whom he defeated males in the 1968 Hollywood Gold Cup to cap a five-win day.
Pierce won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 1967, which honors a rider whose career and personal character exemplify them and the sport.
He rode in the Kentucky Derby five times, with his best result a fourth-place finish in 1980 aboard Super Moment. He finished fourth in the 1979 Preakness with Flying Paster.
He had career purse 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 a cattle and sheep ranch. He met a man who suggested he become a jockey, citing his size and experience with horses. The man told him to go to Hollywood Park in Southern California.
“I told my mom I was going and I’d hitchhike,” Pierce said. “Well, she said she didn’t want me doing that and that she would give me the money for a bus ticket. Well, I took the money and hitchhiked anyway.”
When he arrived at Hollywood Park, the meet was over so he headed south to Del Mar racetrack, where he learned the nuances of race riding from trainer Jack Howard. From there, Pierce went to Arizona and earned a contract to ride at age 17.
Over the years, Pierce became known as one of the great money riders in the game.
“I don’t know where that came from,” Pierce said. “Probably because I just kept winning stakes. I won 351 stakes and that’s when they only had one a week. Plus I had to buck ‘Shoe,’ who was always on the best horse.” Pierce lived near Del Mar for several years in retirement and for a time rose before dawn to work as part of the clockers’ crew that timed morning workouts at the track north of San Diego.
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