Congratulations to Oklahoma HBPA President Donnie Von Hemel on his Breeders' Cup Victory

The National HBPA's officers, staff, and Board of Directors would like to congratulate Oklahoma HBPA President and trainer Donnie Von Hemel for his stirring victory with Caleb's Posse in the $1,000,000 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (Gr. I) at Churchill Downs on Saturday, November 5. It marked Von Hemel's first victory in a Breeders' Cup race.

Owned by Don McNeill and Everett Dobson, the three-year-old Caleb's Posse put in his customary strong late rally in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and swept by the field before drawing off for an impressive four-length score over Preakness (Gr. I) winner Shackleford in 1:34.59.

Von Hemel said after the race, "It’s the biggest (victory of my career), no doubt; a million dollar race on Breeders’ Cup day. If my chest could swell any bigger, it probably wouldn’t fit here. I’m so proud of him, he’s such a neat little horse, and he comes to run on those one-turn races, man."

Caleb’s Posse added the Dirt Mile to 2011 victories in the King’s Bishop (Gr. I), Amsterdam (Gr. II), and Ohio Derby (Gr. III), as well as the listed Smarty Jones Stakes. This year, the son of Posse has five victories, one second and one third in 10 starts and earnings of $1,030,909.

With his sprint and route victories, Caleb's Posse is a candidate for the Eclipse awards for both top sprinter and top three-year-old male.