[Kasept]

Simon continues hot run at this meet
By Mike Welsch

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Chuck Simon has been one of the biggest advocates of summer racing on the south Florida circuit for the last two years. And his decision to stay here year-round certainly has paid big dividends this season.

Simon saddled his sixth winner from just 17 starters since the Gulfstream meet began April 6 when he sent out J C Monba to capture Saturday’s second race under a nifty, rail-skimming ride by jockey Matthew Rispoli. The victory was the 328th for Simon in a career that began at Churchill Downs in 1999.

“Everything we had ran pretty good this winter, and when the tougher horses left, we went from being 15-1 to 3-1 in the same spots,” said Simon. “We have a good crew, and fortunately the owners are realistic about where to place horses, which helps a lot.”

Simon has 15 horses stabled at the Palm Meadows training center, including several 2-year-olds, and he hopes to purchase a few more babies at the June sales.

“One advantage we do have is training here at Palm Meadows,” said Simon. “The place is awesome, the best training center in America, and I think it’s a huge edge. I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to be there. They have dirt, turf, and the L-shaped training track. The barns are great, and Gulfstream pays our shipping. It’s a tremendous deal.”

The best horse in Simon’s barn is Xaverian, a 5-year-old son of Sky Mesa who comes off a sixth-place finish behind Kaigun in the Grade 2 Pan American. He’s scheduled to run in Saturday’s 1 1/2-mile Gleaming Stakes.

“He’s turned into a much better horse since we stretched him out further and since my ace rider, Susan Ditter, started getting on him,” said Simon. “She gets all the credit. I don’t even tell her what to do. She’s really figured him out, has got him happy, and he’s a far better horse now than when we first got him.”