Fiftyshadesofgold chooses wisely in Eight Belles

Fiftyshadesofgold opted for this instead of the Oaks, and scored a poignant win in the Scharbauer silks (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com) The Estate of Clarence Scharbauer Jr.’s Fiftyshadesofgold had been under consideration for Friday’s Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, but connections ultimately opted for the Grade 3, $200,725 Eight Belles on the undercard, and their wise spotting was rewarded. Dispatched as the 2-1 favorite at Churchill Downs, the Bret Calhoun filly repelled a game try from the 9-1 Milam. The decision to go for the Eight Belles rather than the Oaks made plenty of sense. Fiftyshadesofgold was no match for Oaks favorite Untapable when runner-up in the March 29 Fair Grounds Oaks last out, her only route attempt so far. By switching to the Eight Belles, she not only swerved a rematch with Untapable at 1 1/8 miles, but also benefited from shortening up to seven furlongs. “It was the right call at the end of the day, obviously,” Calhoun said. “You don’t have a lot of opportunities to run in the Oaks, but at the end of the day, we wanted to win a graded stakes with this filly, and we think this gave us the best chance.” With Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith aboard, Fiftyshadesofgold was well placed in an outside stalking third. Meanwhile, Jojo Warrior sped through fractions of :22 1/5 and :44 3/5 on the fast track, pressed throughout by Cash Control. Last year’s champion two-year-old filly, She’s a Tiger, got off to a slow start in her belated sophomore bow and found herself uncharacteristically far off the pace.

Fiftyshadesofgold ranged up to accost Jojo Warrior and Cash Control turning
into the stretch, and forged ahead. But Milam had been making headway wider out,
and soon challenged the new leader at the six-furlong mark in 1:09 1/5.

Although Milam tried to give her a fight, the favorite always appeared to
have enough up her sleeve. Fiftyshadesofgold held a safe half-length margin at
the wire, completed seven furlongs in 1:22 2/5, and paid $6.20 to win.

In the process, Fiftyshadesofgold gave Calhoun a graded stakes double, after
stablemate Marchman’s victory in the Grade 3 TwinSpires Turf Sprint.

“I was worried about them getting away from her early in the race,” Calhoun
said. “Mike (Smith) had her in great position. I really felt comfortable from
there on. After the first sixteenth of a mile I felt comfortable. Then I saw the
half-mile splits were pretty sharp, but turning back from a mile and a
sixteenth, and considering she likes this track, I thought she had a big shot
from there. She had to gut it out.”

“She did what I wanted her to do,” Smith said. “She’s comfortable on this
track. That means a lot. She ran and won on this track last year and that makes
a difference. I knew when I locked into that other filly (Milam) at the
sixteenth-pole, that I had her measured.

“We could have gone around again, and she wasn’t going to beat. I sure was
glad when these folks made the decision not to run her in the Kentucky Oaks and
to go in this spot instead. I knew she’d be double tough going seven-eighths
here. Besides, I’ve got another one (Ria Antonia) in the Oaks. Let’s see if I
can win the other half of this thing, too.”

Cash Control reported home another 3 1/2 length adrift in third. Next came
Designer Legs, Jojo Warrior, Our Amazing Rose, She’s a Tiger, Mufajaah and
Whomping Willow. Lady Paradime was scratched.

Jeff Bonde, trainer of She’s a Tiger, said that her race was over from the
start.

“This was just a throw-out race,” Bonde said. “She got left and eliminated at
the start. Then she was floated wide the whole way. Not much else I can say. I
was originally intending in running her in the Acorn (at Belmont June 7) next
but we need to see how she comes out of the race first.”

Fiftyshadesofgold was an apt winner of the Eight Belles. The race’s namesake
was a lovely gray daughter of Unbridled’s Song, and Fiftyshadesofgold is a
lovely gray granddaughter of Unbridled’s Song, by his son My Golden Song.

Bred in Texas by the late Scharbauer, Fiftyshadesofgold sports the famous
silks once carried by another Scharbauer legend, Alysheba, who is being honored
by a Grade 2 stakes later on Friday’s card. She has an even closer, genetic
connection to the Hall of Famer: her third dam, Grade 2 winner Alysbelle, is a
full sister to Alysheba.

Fiftyshadesofgold won her first two starts as a juvenile by 18 lengths
combined. She crushed Texas-bred maidens in her debut at Lone Star last May and
followed up with a similar rout in the Debutante at Churchill in June. Bet down
to 1-5 favoritism for the Adirondack at Saratoga, she suffered a brutally rough
trip before crossing the wire fourth. Fiftyshadesofgold was promoted to third
via the disqualification of the first-past-the-post, Who’s in Town, but exited
the race with injuries that sidelined her for the rest of her juvenile campaign.

Returning in the restricted Two Altazano on February 15 at Sam Houston,
Fiftyshadesofgold rolled to a 2 1/2-length score. She stretched out to 1 1/16
miles in the Fair Grounds Oaks, where she set the pace early before being
swamped by Untapable. Fiftyshadesofgold was 7 3/4 lengths behind in second, but
still clear of third-placer Unbridled Forever. The Eight Belles marked her first
graded victory, upping her line to 6-4-1-1, $342,262.

Fiftyshadesofgold is the third stakes winner produced by her dam, the winning
Hadif Cat, following Sword Trick and Tastefullyxcessive. As her name suggests,
Hadif Cat is by Hadif, and the mare is a full sister to stakes scorer Screen
Pass.

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