Driver Richard Simard knows more than most about the adage of a cat having nine lives. Recently, though, the man best known in harness racing circles as 'The Black Cat' thinks he may have used up one of his
.
"In early February by the time I got to the emergency ward they told me I was about six hours from being severely poisoned and possibly dying," said Simard. "They scolded me for waiting so long when my appendix first started causing me pain. I waited to go in as long as possible but I was doubled up with pain and almost blacking out. By the time they operated I was a full blown case of appendicitis."
Simard is a career winner of over 5,300 races in the bike for driving purses of over $29 million. Simard admitted that his nickname 'The Black Cat' (Le Chat Noir in his birth province of Quebec) dates to when he would volunteer to drive ill-gaited or aggressive horses, and later, for his driving suit colors dominated by black. The 50-year-old horseman also is dabbling with training five-year-old pacer Native Freedom at the current meet in South Florida. That horse provided his first drive back after the drivers' absence of almost two months and earned a third-place finish after cutting the mile.
"I was a bit fortunate to get the same doctor as (Pompano based trainer) Mike Deters had when he went through this," he added. "I went through a series of weekly check-ups after the operation and then an ultrasound. I was finally able to start jogging horses again and finally cleared to drive."
In just his second drive back he picked up a win on the March 27 program with trotter Cheers To Chip.
"Richie is a long time friend of mine from our days in Montreal and many tracks," explained owner and fellow horseman Norm Dessureault after the 1:56.1 win by Cheers To Chip. "I just told him to roll him from the front and he did. I want to help Richard get his confidence back and I wanted people to see him in the winner's circle again since that can only help him start to get some drives back.”
Simard has been campaigning intermittently in Florida for almost twenty years, which he says has been interrupted on a few occasions by returning home to Canada to be with his cancer stricken father. The Montreal born Simard was also the focus of a USA work permit and green card application case successfully forwarded by Windsor, Ontario attorney Sam Burgio. It was a case that received extensive coverage in the city's daily newspaper, The Windsor Star, from reporter Bob Duff. Burgio, himself an avid owner and harness racing fan, successfully argued that harness drivers are in fact specialized athletes that should be permitted to work in both countries on the continent.
"When the current meet ends here I'm undecided on where in Ontario I'll go back to," Simard added. "During the ten years I raced in Windsor a lot of the guys talked about going to Sudbury Downs in the Summer months and that's a strong possibility. I'll probably try to catch on again at Rideau Carleton, too, when I get back to Canada. My first choice would have been Montreal and it's very sad for me to see that there is no presence for live harness racing there any more since it was such a big part of my life.”
On Wednesday’s program at Pompano Park Simard has been hired by top Pompano conditioner Fred Cohen to drive claiming pacer Awesome Way in the first race. He'll also pilot Native Freedom from his own barn on the Pompano backstretch in the tenth race.
Simard is uncertain of whether he has medical coverage to help defray the cost of his emergency ward ordeal, subsequent appendix removal surgery and the hospital stay while starting his convalescence.
"I estimate I could be getting medical bills for close to $50,000 and if there is no medical coverage help for me from Quebec or Florida, the doctors and hospital could end up owning my house," he said wryly. "But, I'm still out here driving and doing what I love to do. I guess The Black Cat still has at least one more life."
(Pompano Park)