[Scav]

From Bloodhorse.com

7:35 a.m.
Simon Says

Trainer Chuck Simon hobbles down the stairs from the clocker’s stand on the backside. He’s taking one step at a time…slowly. Playing in a city slow-pitch softball league on Friday, Simon tells us he was attempting to stretch a double into a triple. Then he heard something pop.

“It’s sign number 365 that I’m getting too old to play softball,” says the 39-year-old. He notes he’ll only be 39 for about another month…really.

The local hasn’t seen too many of this year’s Derby hopefuls. “There haven’t been that many around,” he says. “They’re just getting here. It’s unusual. You used to see the horses train for two weeks with the occasional outsider coming in late. Now, everybody is doing their own thing.”

But he has watched the preps.

“I think there are 12 horses you can make a case for,” he says. “I know Street Sense has looked great since he’s been here. The one thing about a horse of his style, is you wonder about luck, because he might get stuck behind horses.”

Perhaps he’ll be luckier than the gimpy Simon.

“I hope he’s sounder than me.”

-E.H