Trainer Kelly Von Hemel
Born: 02/05/65, Syracuse, Kansas Resides: Pleasant Hill, Iowa Family: Pam, wife; Kelsey and Kylie, daughters; Kelby, son
“My sons Kelly and Donnie had excellent years in 2007,” remarked their father, Don Von Hemel.
“Each one of them had a better year than their father.”
The brothers learned their horsemanship from Don Von Hemel.
"Even though we both learned from dad, we are a bit different in the way we train. No matter how good a teacher a young training prospect might have, there are certain things he, or, she, must learn on their own,” vowed Kelly Von Hemel.
Their father, long prominent in horse training circles, is a member of the Nebraska Sports’ Hall of Fame.
When Kelly shipped to Oaklawn in December his horses had won more than $2,200,000 million in 2007.
“Our 2007 stable star was Miss Macy Sue, who won the Carousel Stakes here. She took me to places that I had never been before.”
Miss Macy Sue became Kelly’s first stakes winner at Churchill Downs when victorious in the Winning Colors Stakes and his first starter at Saratoga when she competed in the Honorable Miss Handicap. On October 26, she finished third to Maryfield in the $1,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.
Kelly sent out Semaphore Man win the 2007 King Cotton Handicap.“This colt runs best with a month, or so, between races.He dearly loves Oaklawn Park,” said Kelly.
Other stakes winners trained by Von Hemel in 2007 included Camela Carson, Crimson King Cat, Irish Party and Seekingtherainbow.
Kelly brought 22 horses to Oaklawn for the 2008 racing season.
A monumental event in Kelly’s career came August 11, 2007 when he saddled career winner 1,000. This came at Prairie Meadows with Bones Light, a horse owned by the Dream Walkin Farm of country music star Toby Keith.
It isn’t difficult to learn Kelly’s all-time favorite among runners he’s conditioned.He had Sure Shot Biscuit, three-time Horse-of-the-Year in Iowa and a career earner of more than $1,000,000.
Today, Sure Shot Biscuit is in Iowa’s Racing Hall-of-Fame.Asked the “name” horse in the barn when he was learning the game under dad, Kelly smiled and replied, “Remember Win Stat winning a mile seventy here at Oaklawn in 1984?That was when he set the track and American recordof 1:38 2/5 on the dirt?”
Kelly has been training since 1985. A trainer since 1985, he is son-in-law of the long-time western trainer Larry Donlin.
In former days, Kelly raced the early spring at Fonner Park.
He and family made their home in Grand Island, Nebraska. He has since become an Oaklawn regular and purchased a home in Iowa, relocating his family there.