Page 9 - June 2009 The Game

Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
Longtime Alberta Trainer Now at Woodbine
The Game, June 2009 9
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After contemplating the move for the past few years, longtime Alberta trainer Stuart Simon nally took the leap and has eight horses stabled for racing at Woodbine.
ago, but I stayed because of the new track. But the racetrack is still not being built so I made the move.” remarked Stuart.
Stuart, who has raced at Marquis Downs, Stampede Park, Northlands, Turf Paradise, Hastings and Assiniboia over the years, credits much of his success to having good owners and good staff. “I have run everywhere and I am well traveled but now I hope this is home.”
So far, Stuart has visited the winner’s circle at Woodbine only once, May
15 with Air Wolf for owners Brent McLellan and William Verbeek with Tyler Pizarro, however he remains optimistic that things will begin to get rolling soon.
Bay Tot - Survivor Continued from Page 8
“Terry Jordan has been telling me to come for
a few years.” said the personable trainer who also has a stable of 20 horses at Northlands in Edmonton under the care of Assistant Kelly Robinson, “Racing has been good to me in Alberta but it is time to try here and if I do good then I’ll stay.”
Trainer Stuart Simon with 3-year-old lly Instinctive A eet at Woodbine
In the mean time, Stuart goes home to his wife every few weeks for a
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Born in Saskatchewan,
Stuart moved to Alberta with his wife Valerie in 1988. “She’s my best horse.” laughs Stuart who has been married for 24 years. Valerie currently works for United Horsemen of Alberta,
the company that is overseeing the development of the new racetrack
in Balzac, near Calgary. Uncanny enough, it is the continual delay in the development of that racetrack that has created uncertainty for many Alberta horsemen, including Stuart. “I was going to come here four or ve years
few days, “We’ll see what happens,”
he says, “I really enjoy the facility. It is great to have the different surfaces and the people are pleasant and helpful. The purses are second to none.”
Assiniboia Downs Opening Day
Inspeightofsuccess, a three-year-old lly by Speightstown - Essence of Success,
was the winner of the rst race of the 2009 season at Assiniboia Downs on opening day May 10.
Anderson, the lly was a winner by a nose under the ride of jockey Rocco Bowen. Live thoroughbred racing at the Winnipeg, Manitoba track goes Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. and holidays at
Owned by Jerry Lambert, Lynn Matthews and Gene Hill and trained by Carl
1 p.m. Tuesday nights are added in June and July.
and felt the horrible shock of the wind being knocked out of me. I knew what was happening but my body went into re exive panic as I struggled to breathe. Someone was beside me, speaking to me, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. Finally, my breath was back in my body and I sat up. The world spun around me as someone urged me to lie down. Lie down on the racetrack? Were they crazy?
I had a broken collar bone. I told him absolutely not. He asked me why I was holding my right arm pressed to my chest. I looked down. He was right.
When the world stopped spinning,
I wanted to get off the track before
the eld came around. I looked down
the backstretch and saw the horses galloping towards me, the bright colours of the jockeys’ silks hovering above them. I told the man beside me that
we had to move but he insisted I stay still. Suddenly, an ambulance attendant appeared beside me with a stretcher. Like any able bodied jockey, I wasn’t about to get on a stretcher. I insisted on walking.
I made it to the door of the ambulance.
I was 25 years old, I had a phone, and I would live to ride again.
The next thing I remember is sitting in the rst aid room answering questions. The doctor asked me how old I was. I told him I was 21. Nancy Beilan, another jockey, told the doctor I was 25. He asked me for my phone number and I told him I didn’t have a phone. Nancy gave him my number. He then told me
He was also right about the collarbone,
broken in several places. I was fortunate
to come out of the spill alive so I
didn’t complain too much during my
convalescence period. Five horses had
gone down, three of them had died. Bay
Tot was one of the survivors.
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Fantastic
Breeder & Stallion
Awards.
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