Don Pierce: key obituary facts
Is Don Pierce dead? Yes. Don Pierce died on October 5, 2026, at age 89.
Cause of death: Don Pierce's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Don Pierce known for?
He was an American jockey.
More about Don Pierce
Born: 13 April 1937.
Place of birth: Clebit.
Gender: male.
Occupation: jockey.
Nationality: United States.
Awards: George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
Don Pierce, an American Hall of Fame jockey, died October 5, 2026, aged 89.
Born April 13, 1937, in Clebit, Oklahoma, Pierce earned his first win in 1954 and later based his career in California, becoming a leading jockey in the 1960s and 1970s. His record at Santa Anita included four victories in the Santa Anita Handicap, California’s most prestigious race, and two wins in the Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast’s most important race for three-year-olds.
In 1967, fellow jockeys selected him for the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. The honor recognizes riders whose careers and personal conduct exemplify the best among participants in thoroughbred racing. Pierce also rode in five Kentucky Derbies. His best finish came in 1980, when he guided Elmendorf Farm’s Super Moment to fourth place. The 1979 Preakness Stakes was his sole appearance in that race. He retired as a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey after a career in thoroughbred racing that included major California victories and appearances in two of the country’s best-known races for three-year-olds.