Longtime Monmouth Park trainer Joe Pierce, Jr., died June 7 at age 90, following a lengthy illness. The son of a trainer, Pierce took out his training license in 1956 and saddled 2,256 winners with earnings of $36,363,939.
“He was a great horsemen and a fabulous guy,” said trainer Chuck Spina, who shared Barn 14 with Pierce on the Monmouth Park backstretch for the past two decades. “He has always been one of my idols. He had so many great horses over the years. He was an old school-type of trainer who had the ability to adapt to whatever the times were.”
Pierce was still active as a trainer during the current meeting, saddling a winner from four starters. Funeral services are pending.
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