Page 38 - New Mexico Horse Breeders 2019 Stallion Register

NMHBA Trustee Profile:
TOM PIERCE
by Michael Cusortelli
New Mexico Horse Breeders’ Association trustee Tom Pierce of Albuquerque is currently serving his third stint on the association’s board of directors.
“I served from 1996-2001, when our entire industry -- breeders, horsemen, tracks, and others -- rallied together to get our casino legislation passed, and also from 2007-10,” Pierce says.
A longtime horseman in New Mexico, Pierce’s name is familiar to those who follow Thorough- bred racing in the state. According to figures com- piled by Equibase, horses trained by Pierce have since 1991 won 78 races and have earned more than $1.1 million. Pierce made a splash on closing day of the Albuquerque Downs meet, September 23, when he sent out Clara Moore Thomas’ Roll On Diabolical to win the 6-furlong, $177,659 New Mexico State Fair Thoroughbred Futurity (R) for state-bred 2 year olds.
Another of Pierce’s noteworthy Thorough- breds, the Kentucky-bred filly Paloma Mesa, won the 2011 Budweiser Allowance Stakes at SunRay Park for owner Running Horse Farm II LLC. Pierce has also trained stakes winners Acrylic (1995 Governor’s Handicap at Ruidoso Downs) for owner Patrick L. Petelski and Charlie’s Pizzazz (2008 Lincoln Handicap at Ruidoso) for owners Michael Fuhs and John Kozeliski.
In addition, Bullish Liz, a filly that he owned and trained, ran second to Let The Musicbegin, in the $100,000 Sydney Valentini Handicap (R) for state-bred distaffers at Sunland Park in 2009.
Several Pierce homebreds have also made their mark on New Mexico racing, including Urlacher, a stakes-winning son of Quiero Dinero who earned $203,161 from 2001-06 and broke Ruidoso Downs’ 5-furlong track record in 2003. Urlacher is named for Brian Urlacher, a New Mexico native and all-pro linebacker for the Chicago Bears who earlier this year was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A lifelong Atlanta Braves fan, Pierce bred 2000 Copper Top Futurity (R) runner-up Chipper J., a colt by Prospector Jones named for longtime Braves’ third baseman and Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, and Brother Andruw, a full brother to Chipper J. named for former Braves’ outfielder and five-time All-Star Andruw Jones.
Pierce was born in Morton, Texas, and he moved with his family to Albuquerque in 1955. He graduated from Sandia High School in 1967, and four years later he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of New Mexico.
Pierce recalls how he became interested in horse racing.
“My dad used to take me to the State Fair horse races in Albuquerque, and I thought that was about the coolest thing I’d ever seen,” he remembers. “Then years later, my wife, Prudy, bowled in a league with some friends who had racehorses. We started going with them to watch their horses run, and before long we had purchased our first racehorse.”
Pierce met Prudy at UNM, and the couple married in 1970. Prudy passed away from a sudden illness 11 years ago. The Pierces have one son, Tommy, who lives in Atlanta with his wife, Jennifer.
“Prudy’s passing made it difficult for me to continue my breeding and training pro- gram,” Pierce says. “But with the unbeliev- able love and support of my two sisters, Nel and Shirley, I’ve been able to keep it going. Also, Tom and Clara Moore Thomas are
my primary owners, and they are very nice people. The outstanding horses they have provided me with have really reinvigorated this old man.”
Pierce recently visited with our magazine for an interview.
New Mexico Horse Breeder:
What were the primary motivating factors behind your decision to run for a third term on the board?
Tom Pierce:
Out of the blue one day, (board first vice president) Jay Taylor called and asked me to run for the board. I was too slow-witted to think of a reason not to run, and that’s I how ended up running for the board. Seriously, though, I thor- oughly enjoyed my previous board experiences, and I thought possibly I could contribute again.
New Mexico Horse Breeder:
What do you think are the major issues regarding New Mexico racing that the board should be most concerned about this year?
Tom Pierce:
There are many issues facing our industry, and our board is concerned about all of them -- the likely future existence of a sixth racetrack, the
bad publicity arising from our bad drug tests, the sometime lack of opportunities for our state-bred horses to get stalls and races to run in, having consistently safe racing surfaces, trying to increase the value of our New Mexico-breds, and also to reverse our declining number of broodmares and foals, especially on the Thoroughbred side.
New Mexico Horse Breeder:
What is your feeling about split meets
at New Mexico tracks (that is, one meet for Thoroughbreds and one for Quarter Horses at all tracks)?
Tom Pierce:
I’ve always thought that split meets would be beneficial to our industry, but I was concerned if it would be practical because of the time gaps
36 New Mexico Horse Breeder