TRAINER DONNIE VON HEMEL WINS OKLAHOMA CLASSICS DISTAFF STAKES FOR EIGHTH TIME AS SHE’S ALL WOLFE FOLLOWS IN MOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS

Oklahoma Racing Hall of Fame trainer Donnie Von Hemel owns the $145,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff, presented by Daily Racing Form, winning it for the eighth time in his career at Remington Park on Friday night, this time with She’s All Wolfe.

It was that filly’s second year in a row in this winner’s circle of the second-richest race on Oklahoma Classics Night, an $1,000,000 evening of stakes racing devoted to Oklahoma-bred Thoroughbreds.

In fact, Von Hemel has practically started a family dynasty with this race. Back in 2011, She’s All In won the Distaff the first year in Von Hemel’s stable and he won three in a row with her. She’s All In also won it in 2010, but she was in trainer Roger Engel’s barn that year.

She’s All Wolfe, a daughter of She’s All In, is now halfway to her dam’s four-win streak. The 4-year-old daughter of Magna Graduate has now won five of six starts on Remington Park’s dirt track and she’s reminding a lot of people of her mother.

Dr. Robert Zoellner of Tulsa, Okla., owned both horses. He also owned Peach Brew, who Von Hemel won the Distaff with in 2009 and Sydney Freeman in 2018. Von Hemel’s other Distaff win came with Midsummer Magic (not owned by Zoellner) in 2007.

Zoellner also has won this race eight times now. The only time Zoellner won without Von Hemel was the year Cliff Berry rode She’s All In for Engel. Zoellner has the perfect recipe for winning this race so many times.

“It’s awesome and I attribute that to Donnie and his team,” Zoellner said. “You know I try to breed a good horse and hand it off to him and he does the rest. So far he’s been doing pretty good with the rest. It’s a great team effort and that’s what horse racing is about. You have to have a great team, great horse, great trainer and then have a little racing luck. It all worked out tonight.”

Zoellner wins with a lot of homebreds, including She’s All Wolfe.

“(She’s All Wolfe) is very well bred, of course,” said Von Hemel. “When she came in (to the barn) she had some quirks about her. She’s almost normal now (laughs). A big thanks to the crew at the barn. They’ve done a wonderful job and Richard rode her well.”

Jockey Richard Eramia won for the second year in a row aboard She’s All Wolfe. He has two victories in this stakes.
“Yes, she got into some trouble at the gate, but she finishes all the time, outside,” Eramia said. “She gives you 100 percent. You don’t have to do much.”

She’s All Wolfe swung out five wide coming into the stretch and that seems to suit her running and winning style. Eramia angled her out after sitting fourth most of the race and then began stretching her lead in the stretch. She was one length ahead at the top of the lane and then edged away by 1-3/4 lengths at the wire. She stopped the timer for the 1-1/16th miles race on the main track in 1:42.55 over the fast track. Early fractions she ate into were :23.76 seconds for the first quarter-mile, :48.37 for the half-mile, 1:12.80 for three-quarters of a mile and 1:38.35 for the mile.

She’s All Wolfe was sent off as the 2-1 wagering favorite and paid $6.20, $3.40 and $2.40 across the board. Dipping In, last year’s Useeit Stakes winner, was a 10-1 longshot in this spot and fought hard to get second. She was another 1-3/4 lengths ahead of third-place finisher Lady Orchid (2-1).

The remaining order of finish was Gotta See Red (4th), Graygirlgo (5th), Gospel Lucille (6th), Okie Queen (7th) and Ekati’s Hit (8th).

She’s All Wolfe earned $87,000 for the victory and improved her record to 18 starts, seven wins, three seconds and two thirds for a bankroll of $379,862.

Von Hemel has now won 29 Oklahoma Classics races. He is the leading trainer all-time in the series that began in 1993.

Remington Park racing continues Saturday, Oct. 16 with the first race at 7:07pm-central.

Tracked by more than 167,000 fans on Facebook and 10,400 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $272 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 is home for the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes, on Friday, Oct. 29. Simulcast horse racing featured daily, the casino is always open! Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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