Delta Downs: Simington hopes for spring return

Jockey Don Simington on Monday said he hopes to return to riding toward the end of the Delta Downs meet that runs through March 23. Simington broke his collarbone in a spill at the Vinton, La., track on Oct. 20. He has since had surgery to stabilize the injury.

“It wasn’t going to heal the way it was,” said Simington, 49. “Most of the guys I know that have had [this type of] surgery are out three or four months. I hope to be back in that time frame. It’s been a month since the surgery. Hopefully, I’ll get back up and ride the last month of Delta.”

If not, Simington said he will return at Louisiana Downs. He is a winner of more than 3,000 races since he began riding in 1984.

◗ Easy Tap, a maiden special weight winner at Remington, and Tis One Red Girl, a recent claim working at Fair Grounds, meet in the fourth race Wednesday night at Delta. They are part of a field of nine 2-year-old fillies in the 6 1/2-furlong conditioned allowance run around two turns. The purse is $30,000.