Trainer Donnie K Von Hemel

Born: 09/10/61, Syracuse, Kansas

Resides: Piedmont, Oklahoma

Family: Robin, wife; Tess, daughter 

Donnie K. is back at Oaklawn, again with 40 horses. He finished in the top 10 here in 2008, saddling 14 winners from 97 starters.           

His meeting highlight came on Arkansas Derby Day when he sent forth Euphony to capture the $100,000 Instant Racing. During that meeting, the stable of Donnie K. earned $482,070.           

“Euphony is back at Oaklawn for 2009. She had an excellent season last year. It seems that everywhere I raced she won a stakes. Late in the year, she won the Remington Oaks,” Von Hemel reflected. 

In recent years, a Von Hemel “big horse” has been Going Ballistic. The latter is remembered as winner of the Super Derby, Centennial Oklahoma Derby and Pin Oak Stud USA in 2007. 

“I thought Going Ballistic had a problem at Oaklawn that year. He did, but the problem was Curlin. After I got him away from Curlin, Going Ballistic had an excellent year,” said Donnie. 

“I have Going Ballistic here with me now and you will see him race,” said the trainer. 

Brownie Points headed Von Hemel’s barn for a couple of years. 

Brownie Points won four stakes in 2006, including the Martha Washington, Marie P. DeBartolo Oaks, Remington Park Breeders’ Cup and the Stonerside Stakes.           

“She been retired and is to be bred to Street Cry this spring,” mentioned Donnie. 

In recent years Donnie K. enjoyed remarkable success with the distaffers Bedanken, D. Fine Okie, See How She Runs and Bien Nicole. 

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. 

The young horseman has had many earlier stakes winners in his barn, 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’ve retired D. Fine Okie, who won 14 of 33 starts and earned some $465,000,” the trainer said. 

One shouldn’t forget Cryptograph, a colt. The latter accounted for two Oaklawn allowance purses, later winning the Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at Lone Star and the Round Table Stakes at Arlington. 

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. 

"What are our prospects in 2009? Coming off several good years back-to-back is a challenge. Some of the horses in our barn, we know can run," Donnie K. mentioned. "But, I have some young, promising ones that are still developing. It is exciting to watch a talented young thoroughbred develop. Going Ballistic cost only $4,000 as a yearling. He’s since made a lot of money. Maybe, just maybe, another Going Ballistic, Euphony, Mr. Ross, Bien Nicole, Bedanken, or Brownie Points might be getting ready to step center stage for us. That is one of the charms of training horses.”