Hall of Fame jockey Don Pierce, one of the top riders at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar in the 1960s and 1970s, has died at age 89.
Pierce’s death Monday, Oct. 5, in Denton, Texas, was announced by his brother, former jockey Larry Pierce, on social media.
A native of Clebit, Oklahoma, Pierce began riding at Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico in 1954 and became a star in California. Known as a trusted big-race rider with a knack for reserving horses behind the front-runners, he won 3,546 races in a 31-year career, including 351 at the stakes level. Those included four Santa Anita Handicap winners, Linmold, Physician, Hill Rise and Triple Bend, all between 1960 and 1972.
Pierce would later call Hill Rise the best horse he rode, but other notables included Flying Paster, Ack Ack and Silky Sullivan.
At the time Pierce retired, in January 1985, the only jockeys with more victories at Santa Anita meets were legends Bill Shoemaker, Laffit Pincay and John Longden, and the only riders with more stakes wins at the Arcadia track were Shoemaker and Pincay.
He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 2010. Many considered the honor overdue.
Don Pierce poses at Santa Anita in 1967 after being honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, given annually by America’s jockeys in recognition of a rider’s career and character. Pierce, one of California’s top jockeys in the 1960s and 1970s, died Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, at age 89. (Photo courtesy of Santa Anita)
Related Posts:
Kings unveil their Hall of Fame before home opener News LOS ANGELES — While the Lakers have the majority of championship banners in the rafters and statues in Star Plaza, the Kings are still the primary tenants at Crypto.com Arena. Now, there’s another reminder of that fact right by the Team LA store, where the Kings unveiled their Hall of…
World’s tallest Tory says he’s loved ‘every single second’ of fame in past year News To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page James McAlpine has had a big year since going viral as the ‘world’s tallest Tory’ at the 2025 Conservative Party Conference. There have been TV appearances…
A Psychic Told Kim Kardashian That North West Is Destined for Fame Entertainment <p id="par-1_15">North West is destined to be a star. Or so her mother Kim Kardashian claims. </p> <p id="par-2_59">The SKIMS mogul and reality TV icon is well-known for consulting psychics and other spiritual gurus for advice and insights. While they haven’t always been correct – predictions that <a href="https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/kim-kardashian-half-people-california-bar-exam-july-failed.html/">she’d pass the…
Chinatown's former 'City Hall' gets $750,000 restoration grant News The Pui Tak Center — Chinatown's polychromatic bonanza of Chinese Eclectic architecture — has received a $750,000 grant to help restore the 98-year-old landmark. The matching grant was announced Thursday. The center, 2216 S. Wentworth, is among 24 sites awarded grants through the Save America's Treasures program administered by the…
3 of Nolan Wells’ friends sue NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation News By SOPHIE BATES JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Three friends of Nolan Wells, a Black college student who went missing from a Mississippi island during a Fourth of July celebration and was later found dead, are suing NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Owens for defamation. Lawyers for the friends said they…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
