Fate played part in She's All Wolfe's upset win in Shawnee

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If Donnie K. Von Hemel had been assured an allowance this week at Churchill Downs would be available to She’s All Wolfe, there’s no chance the Oklahoma-bred mare would have pulled her 20-1 upset Saturday in the Shawnee.

“We would have gone in the allowance,” said Von Hemel.

Instead, She’s All Wolfe rallied in deep stretch to win the Shawnee, one of six Foster Preview Day stakes on Saturday, giving jockey Francisco Arrieta his first-ever Churchill stakes win. For Von Hemel, it was all a very pleasant surprise, given the 60-year-old trainer had all but conceded the Shawnee to heavily favored Pauline’s Pearl, who had finished nearly 11 lengths ahead of She’s All Wolfe in the Grade 1 La Troienne in their previous meeting on May 6.

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“I thought Pauline wins the race, no doubt about it,” said Von Hemel. “But, as with any mare, you’re just trying to build a resume. Whether it’s a stakes placing or an open-stakes win, like we got here, it won’t come in a perfect spot. In fact, nowadays, there’s hardly ever a perfect spot, and you usually don’t know ahead of time if a certain race is going to fill. You just go in hoping for the best.”

She’s All Wolfe, bred and owned by Robert Zoellner, likely will be rematched with Pauline’s Pearl in the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis on the July 2 Stephen Foster card. Most of the other Preview Day winners also will be pointed to the July 2 card, including Dynamic One, winner of the Blame, likely going back in the Foster for Todd Pletcher.

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Bango, now a two-time winner of the Aristides, will point to the Kelly’s Landing; Admission Office (Arlington Stakes) to the Wise Dan; Walkabout (Regret) to the Tepin; and Kitodan (Audubon) to the American Derby.