For Immediate Release – Oklahoma City, Ok – October 24, 2022 — Trainer Donnie Von Hemel could look into his rear view mirror and not see a single other conditioner behind him in Oklahoma Classics wins, he’s won so many of the top stakes events at Remington Park for Oklahoma-breds.
That’s why it was no surprise when She’s All Wolfe won the $128,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff for the third year in a row for the all-time leading Classics trainer, giving Von Hemel his 30th victory in this series. It runs in the family. His dad Don Von Hemel has two Classics wins and brother Kelly another one.
It is a family affair with the winning horse as well. She’s All Wolfe won the Distaff her third year in a row, but she is still one short of her dam (mother) She’s All In, who won this race four times. Both mares are owned by Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla.
The odd thing about Von Hemel’s 30-15 lead over second-place C.R. Trout in the Classics is that the King of Oklahoma Classics had an extremely hard time winning one of these for the first time. The Classics started in 1993, but Von Hemel didn’t win a race in the series until 1999, taking the Turf with Pesky Rascal.
“We really struggled,” Von Hemel said. “We run a lot of seconds the first… I don’t know how many years. It was like, ‘Are we ever going to get a win in this thing?’ the horses were running good, they just weren’t winning. It eventually turned. It’s been a great program for our stable and our clients and hopefully for Remington and the state also.”
After that, it was like the sky was falling for every other trainer and their parades were being rained on by Von Hemel.
In the Distaff alone, he not only has won the last three with this mare, but he has won this particular race nine times total. She’s All In won it in 2010 for trainer Roger Engel and then when she moved to Von Hemel’s barn, she won it in 2011, 2012 and 2013. His other Distaff winners came with Midsummer Magic (jockey Don Pettinger) in 2007 and Peach Brew (She’s All Wolfe’s aunt and sister to She’s All In) in 2009 and Sydney Freeman in 2018. Zoellner has won the race nine times now as well.
She’s All Wolfe’s regular rider Richard Eramia was aboard for the third year in a row.
“She’s All Wolfe is a wonderful mare but she had her quirks when she was younger; she didn’t like making left turns and that can be trouble on American tracks,” Von Hemel said with a laugh.
By the time she made two left turns on Friday night, she was gone, winning by 3-1/2 lengths as the 2-1 second favorite. She’s Shiney (29-1) was a stubborn second, holding off a fast fading post-time 1-5 favorite Hits Pricey Legacy who was another 7-3/4 lengths behind in the 1 mile, 70-yards race on the main track.
“It was nice not to have to sweat it in the stretch for a change,” Zoellner said. “All my peeps came down with me from Tulsa on the party bus.”
She’s All Wolfe covered the distance in 1:43.55 over the fast track, sitting in fifth down the backstretch before Eramia hit the gas in the turn for home. He had passed everyone with his mare at the top of the lane. She paid $6.60 to win, $6.60 to place and $2.10 to show and her huge place payout was keyed by the longshot running second. She’s Shiney returned $23 to place.
The winner pocketed $76,800 for the victory and her lifetime running lines now are 28 starts, 10 wins, six seconds and two thirds for a bankroll of $715,660. She’s All Wolfe is the active leading earner among Oklahoma-breds. Zoellner bred her since he still owns her mama, She’s All In. Her sire is Magna Graduate (Honor Grades).
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Tracked by more than 171,000 fans on Facebook and 10,600 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $301 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park features the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby and Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks on Sunday, September 25. Thoroughbred racing continues through December 17 with simulcast racing daily, and a casino that is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.