Pierce Hits 8,000 Win Milestone

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Published: November 7, 2011 10:12 am EST

Driver Ron Pierce closed out an action packed card of harness racing on Sunday at Dover Downs featuring eliminations for the Matron Stakes and Progress Pace by hitting the 8,000 career win mark

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Pierce entered the card needing three wins to hit the milestone mark and after scoring victories with three-year-old filly trotter Cedar Dove in her Matron elimination and three-year-old pacing colt Alsace Hanover in his Progress Pace elimination, the veteran reinsman scored win 8,000 with Fouralarmfire in the 12th race filly and mare conditioned event.

Catch-driving for trainer John Wilkerson and owner Joan Hamstead, Pierce sent the three-year-old filly first over from fifth and edged out pacesetter Benevolent and driver Corey Callahan at the wire for the 1:57 victory by a neck. Fouralarmfire paid $18.40 to win for the mild 8-1 upset.

In conversation with Trot Insider following the win, Pierce noted that, in reality, he has more than 8,000 wins as his overseas victories in locales like Macau are not included in his documented lifetime totals.

Pierce currently ranks 10th in North America for wins this year having won 428 races and his $12.1 million in seasonal earnings makes him the third richest driver on the continent. Lifetime, he has banked over $183 million in purses.

Pierce was fortunate enough to add a win this year with a horse he wasn't expecting to drive -- two-year-old trotting filly Check Me Out. The driver of noted fillies like Passionate Glide, Windylane Hanover and Costa Rica told Trot Insider that Breeders Crown champion Check Me Out is the fastest two-year-old filly trotter he's ever sat behind and is open lengths better than any of the freshman colts.

For full recaps of Sunday’s eliminations, click here

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