Trainer Mark Simms Jr. Registers First Churchill Win

Retired U.S. Army officer Mark Simms Jr. recorded his first Churchill Downs win as a trainer June 1 with 3-year-old Kaziranga.

Simms, a former assistant to trainer Dale Romans, began his training career in 2017 and has a small stable based at Trackside Louisville, Churchill Downs' training facility located approximately three miles from the Louisville racetrack. A native of North Dakota, Simms spent a majority of his childhood in Virginia prior to joining the Army in 2011. 

"Dreams do come true," Simms said. "Just trust the process, pray, and keep grinding. It was an awesome night winning this race at Churchill in front of so much of my family and friends. It means the world to have this much support for our stable. I was actually feeling under the weather most of the night, but I felt so much better after the win."

Kaziranga, a former $50,000 claim, was transferred to Simms' care in late April. The colt bested a field of seven competitors in a conditioned starter allowance race by 1 3/4 lengths as the 5-2 favorite. 

Simms began his career in the Army as a brigade assistant intelligence operations officer and traveled to Korea for a year. While in Korea, he visited the racetrack with local soldiers. Simms picked out the horses to bet, and the soldiers helped translate the program. 

In 2013, Simms was deployed to Afghanistan and served as an intelligence officer in the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. After returning to Kentucky in 2014, he began working at GE and helping Romans in the mornings at Churchill Downs. 

"Dale and his assistant Baldemar (Bahena) have taught me so much about horse racing," Simms said. "They have been extremely supportive of my career."

Correction: This story has been updated to note this was the first win at Churchill Downs for Simms.