Trainer Donnie K Von Hemel
Born: 09/10/61, Syracuse, Kansas Resides: Piedmont, Oklahoma Family: Robin, wife; Tess, daughter
Donnie K. Von Hemel is back at Oaklawn, again with 40 horses. His stable is headed by Going Ballistic, hero of the Super Derby, Centennial Oklahoma Derby and Pin Oak Stud USA Stakes all in 2007.
“I thought Going Ballistic had a problem at Oaklawn last year. He did, but the problem was Curlin. After I got him away from Curlin, Going Ballistic had an excellent year.”
As of mid-November Von Hemel ranked 43rd nationally, having saddled 63 winners from 388 starters as his stable earned $2,595,127.
At the Oaklawn 2007 meeting he finished in a tie for seventh place as his barn accounted for 14 winners from 100 starters,
Oaklawn racing fans will remember Brownie Points, heroine of the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes in 2006.
Brownie Points won four stakes in 2006, including the Martha Washington, Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks, Remington Park Breeders’ Cup and the Stonerside Stakes.
“We plan to race her again in 2008. Right now, the mare is training in South Carolina. She is pretty special,” Von Hemel said of Brownie Points, who has won stakes both on the dirt and turf.
In recent years Von Hemel enjoyed remarkable success with the distaffers Bedanken, D. Fine Okie, See How She Runs and Bien Nicole, prior to Surf N Sand and Yoursmineours.
A brother, Kelly Von Hemel, reminded, “he trained Clever Trevor and Mr Ross, a couple of males. Each of those made more than a million."
When Bien Nicole won the $500,000 WinStar Galaxy Stakes at Keeneland, October 5, 2003 she increased her career bankroll to $1,039,580 becoming the third millionaire Donnie has trained.
One shouldn’t forget Cryptograph, a colt.
Cryptograph accounted for two Oaklawn allowance purses in 2006, later winning the Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at Lone Star and the Round Table Stakes at Arlington.
The young horseman has had many other stakes winners in his barn in recent years, a few of them: Burbank, Hollow Miss, Leave A Legacy, Evansville Slew, Sir Tiff, Time To Be Wild, Custer, Slewance, Explosive Girl, Queen’s Gray Bee, Sintress, Prairie Maiden and Valley Of Kings.
"Whisper to Me, Zeerullah, Illusive Ghost and Slew O Mink are other quality runners I've had. We just retired D. Fine Okie, who won 14 of 33 starters and earning some $465,000” he said.
When asked if Going Ballistic reminds him of a previous “name horse” in his barn, Von Hemel answered, “maybe, just a little bit, of Queen’s Gray Bee.”
One of two trainer sons of the nationally-known horseman, Don Von Hemel, Donnie graduated from Fort Hayes State with a degree in business. He began operating his own stable in 1984 and in 1998 was inducted into the Remington Park Hall of Fame.
"Coming off several good years back-to-back is a challenge. Some of the horses in our barn, we know can run," Von Hemel. mentioned. "But, I have some young, promising ones. It is exciting to watch a talented young thoroughbred develop. Going Ballistic cost only $4,000 as a yearling. He’s now made more than $850,000. Maybe, just maybe, another Going Ballistic, Mr Ross, Bien Nicole, Bedanken, or Brownie Points might be getting ready to step center stage. That is one of the charms of training horses.”