PIERMARINI BECOMES FIFTH WOMAN TO RIDE 2,000 WINNERS
From NTRA Thoroughbred Notebook, Aug. 25, 2011
Tammi Piermarini recorded the 2,000th win of her career last
Monday at Suffolk Downs in East Boston, Mass. She becomes just
the fifth woman in racing history to reach that milestone.
Piermarini piloted Sugar Trade in the third race to accomplish
her feat.
“It feels excellent to get this win at Suffolk Downs,” said
Piermarini, a native of Amesbury, Mass., who entered the day
with 1,998 wins before winning with her first two mounts. “This
is home. Most of these trainers and owners are who got me here.”
Piermarini, 44, joins Julie Krone (3,704 wins), Rosemary
Homeister Jr. (2,438), Patti Cooksey (2,137) and Vicki (Aragon)
Baze (2,019) in the exclusive group of women with 2,000 or more
career victories.
“My next stepping-stone is to move up to fourth all-time, then
keep going,” Piermarini said when asked about trying to reach
3,000 wins. “I may never get to Julie. She is my idol.”
Piermarini began her riding career in 1985 as Tammi Campbell.
She earned her first victory on August 30, 1985 at age 18 aboard
Go Darby and Joan, also at Suffolk Downs. Despite enduring
several battles with viral meningitis, she was still able to
amass 986 wins through 1998, when she took some time off to
address her recurring health concerns. During that time, she
married John Piermarini, and upon her return to racing in 1999,
she began competing under her married name with John as her
agent. Since that time, Piermarini has been free from the
illnesses that had plagued her earlier in her career, enabling
her to win an additional 1,014 races and reach the 2,000 mark.
Piermarini has had some time away from racing in the last
decade, but it’s been by choice, having given birth to three
children: Izabella (9), Johnny (4) and Sophia-Lawren (16
months). She has not let motherhood slow down her career. In
2007, Piermarini became just the third woman in Suffolk Downs
history to win a meet riding title. She garnered her second
title in 2010 and is currently atop this year’s jockey standings
with 62 wins, 14 ahead of Jacqueline Davis. Piermarini is also a
two-time recipient of the Eli Chiat Memorial Outstanding Jockey
Award presented by the New England Turf Writers Association
(2007 and 2010).
One of Piermarini’s earliest career highlights came in 1987
aboard Tour d’Or, who equaled the track record for 1 1/16 miles
at Belmont Park while winning an allowance race. The duo would
go on to compete in the 1987 Massachusetts Handicap, finishing
third behind Waquoit and Broad Brush in one of the most
thrilling editions of the signature race at Suffolk Downs.
Piermarini has won races at 15 different racetracks over the
course of her 27-year career, with the vast majority of her
triumphs - 1,586 - coming at Suffolk Downs.