Born on January 25, 1957, in Newtownards, Ireland, Pierce moved to Canada with his family when he was just two-years old. Growing up in the Newmarket, ON area, playing sports were some of Pierce’s favourite activities, especially hockey and soccer.
Pierce’s love of horses didn’t begin until his teenage years. Moffat Dunlap, a member of the Canadian equestrian team, introduced Pierce to riding. Pierce also showed horses and was involved in hunter/jumper activities, but decided to move into racing in his early 20s.
“There wasn’t a lot of money to be made in [show jumping] except for buying and selling horses,” Pierce said. “I wasn’t going to the Olympic level for riding, so I decided I’d come to the racetrack.”
Pierce began to work for Sam-Son Farms trainer Jim Day at Greenwood racetrack in 1981, a connection he made through his time in equestrian sport. He worked for Day for three years galloping horses and hotwalking, before being named assistant trainer in 1984. He held that position for 13 years and also served two years as Mark Frostad’s assistant when Frostad took over for Day training Sam-Son’s stable.
Pierce was given the opportunity to start his own operation in 1997, serving as the private trainer for American owners Gary and Mary West. He was based in the United States while training for the West’s, operating on a circuit that included Keeneland, Monmouth Park and the Fair Grounds.
Pierce returned to Canada and Woodbine in 1999 after the West’s opted to distribute horses to several other trainers. Upon securing stalls on the backstretch, Pierce was approached by Frank Stronach, just one of several high profile owners who have had horses with Pierce.
Pierce learned a lot from his first employer at the racetrack and uses some of the things he learned from Day in his own operation today.
“Jim was a very good horsemen and he ran a very good operation,” he said. “He gave the horses their best chance to perform at their best. The way I run my operation right now is very similar to the way Jim ran his. Through those years we had some very nice horses and you learn a lot from traveling with those kinds of horses.”
More recently, the Sam-Son connection has come back for Pierce. After beginning to train a number of Sam-Son horses a couple of years ago, Rick Balaz of Sam-Son Farms decided last year that all of their horses would be moved to Pierce’s barn.
“I was very thrilled,” he said. “Obviously they have some of the best, if not the best, Canadian-breds for the Queen’s Plate and the Woodbine Oaks. If you’re Canadian, those are the races you want to win. They’re supplying the horses that give me the opportunity to be able to maybe do that.”
A big part of Pierce’s operation is his wife Sally, who also serves as the stable’s assistant trainer.
“We work well together,” he said. “I might not want to do this without her help because it’s a tough job. Seven days a week, early in the mornings and when you have 30 or 40 horses, you can’t keep an eye on everything with one set of eyes. She’s a big help, she does the medications, the payroll. She’s worth about three people to me.”
Down the line, the 56-year old trainer, who currently resides in Brampton, Ontario, is hoping to be able to spend most of his time fishing. But for now, with the three-year old Sam-Son prospects he currently has in his barn, including Coronation Futurity winner, Up With the Birds, and an undefeated filly named Deceptive Vision, Pierce is more than happy to continue what he is doing.
“Sometimes it gets a little hard to get up in the morning, but when you have those kind of horses and those prospects in your barn, it sure makes it a lot easier,” he said. “It’s just nice to be around good horses and win big races, although it is still exciting to win a maiden special weight, that’s a lot of fun too.”
