On the eve of his father's retirement, trainer Kelly Von Hemel notched his first victory of the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting with Ain't Life Grand in Friday's inaugural $150,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.
Ain't Life Grand's victory came one day before trainer Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs retired (Saturday was the final day of the meeting), ending a 67-year career that saw him become a legend in Nebraska and Oaklawn's leading trainer in 1981. Von Hemel, 88, was credited with 2,568 career victories, 57th-highest total in North American history, according to Equibase, racing's official data gathering organization, and captured 10 training titles at the now-defunct Ak-Sar-Ben in Omaha, Neb.
“It was a little bittersweet,” Kelly Von Hemel, the youngest of Von Hemel's two training sons, said moments after Ain't Life Grand's victory. “Like I said, the only reason we're here is become of him. He's taught us everything.”
Unleashing a powerful late kick under Martin Garcia, Ain't Life Grand ($22.40) won the Lake Ouachita by two lengths over Frosted Grace. Odds-on favorite Mr. Wireless was a half-length farther back in third. The winning time over a fast track was 1:42.76, just off Last Samurai's meet-best 1:42.19.
Ain't Life Grand was exiting a seventh-place finish in a March 18 allowance race at Oaklawn, which marked the 4-year-old debut for the Iowa-bred son of Not This Time. Von Hemel said he entered Ain't Life Grand in “three or four” subsequent allowance races, but they didn't go, adding the colt needs to stay busy to find his best form.
“Last year, it took three races and this year maybe two, obviously, but there was a long time between the last race,” Von Hemel said. “We got a lot of works in him. He was a little sharper and he was working better.”
A homebred for RPM Thoroughbreds (Ray Shattuck), Ain't Life Grand won for the seventh time in 12 starts to raise his lifetime earnings to $585,624. Ain't Life Grand is a six-time stakes winner. His first five stakes victories were at Prairie Meadows, including the $300,000 Iowa Derby at 1 1/16 miles last summer. Ain't Life Grand will be based again this summer at Prairie Meadows, with the $300,000 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) for older horses his major objective, Von Hemel said. The 1 1/8-mile Cornhusker is July 8.
“There's a prep in a month up there,” Von Hemel said. “It will be about $70,000 for an Iowa-bred and about a month later is the Cornhusker. Ray, along with myself, cut his teeth going to Ak-Sar-Ben every day, or every weekend. That would mean a lot if we could both win the Cornhusker.”
Don Von Hemel won the 1983 Cornhusker – the race was run at Ak-Sar-Ben – with Win Stat and again in 2016 at Prairie Meadows with Smack Smack. Kelly Von Hemel's older brother, trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel, won the 1994 Cornhusker at Ak-Sar-Ben with Zeeruler. Ak-Sar-Ben closed in 1995.
Don Von Hemel (444) is the fifth-winningest trainer in Oaklawn history. His final career starter was April 28 at Oaklawn.
The post ‘It Was A Little Bittersweet’: Von Hemel Gets First Win Of Oaklawn Meet On Eve Of Father’s Retirement appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
