Fair Grounds Oaks will be class test for Fiftyshadesofgold

NEW ORLEANS – For trainer Bret Calhoun, the death last month of owner/breeder Clarence Scharbauer Jr. adds emotional incentive to win the Fair Grounds Oaks with Fiftyshadesofgold.

“When she had her little run through Churchill and Saratoga, it kept him going,” Calhoun said. “When she ran at Houston, he got really excited. He kind of lived through that filly.”

Scharbauer, a pillar of Texas racing, died at age 88 on Feb. 21, six days after his homebred filly Fiftyshadesofgold won the seven-furlong Two Altazano Stakes at Sam Houston in her first start as a 3-year-old.

Fiftyshadesofgold will be stepping up in class and racing around two turns for the first time when she runs in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on the Louisiana Derby undercard March 29.

The card also features the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby and two Grade 2 races for older horses – the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap on dirt and the $300,000 Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap on turf. The card also will include three stakes for Louisiana-breds.

Fiftyshadesofgold will go into the Oaks somewhat under the radar. Untapable, who ran away with the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Feb. 22 by 9 1/2 lengths for trainer Steve Asmussen, undoubtedly will be the favorite. Unbridled Forever, a Dallas Stewart trainee who hasn’t raced since scoring a sharp victory in the Silverbulletday Stakes on Jan. 18, likely will have strong support, too.

Got Lucky, the runner-up in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, and Mary Rita, coming off a first-level allowance win for trainer Larry Jones, also are being pointed to the race, which drew 10 nominees. Entries will be taken Wednesday.

A Texas-bred daughter of Golden Song and the Hadif mare Hadif Cat, Fiftyshadesofgold carries the blood of the female family of Alysheba, the most significant horse to carry the Scharbauer colors. Alysheba, owned by Scharbauer’s wife, Dorothy, and daughter, Pam, was the champion 3-year-old in 1987, when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and the Horse of the Year in 1988, when he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Grade 2 winner Alysbelle, Alysheba’s full sister, is Fiftyshadesofgold’s third dam.

Fiftyshadesofgold is “big and rangy,” the body type of a route runner, Calhoun said. “We’re finally getting her to the distances she’s made to run at,” he said.

In sprints last year, Fiftyshadesofgold showed talent. After winning a maiden race at Lone Star by 10 lengths, she won the Debutante at Churchill Downs by eight. The odds-on favorite in the Grade 2 Adirondack at Saratoga, Fiftyshadesofgold “was tons the best,” Calhoun said. But she was severely squeezed and steadied while racing along the rail in the stretch and crossed the finish line fourth, though she was placed third following the disqualification of Who’s in Town.

Fiftyshadesofgold was going to run next in the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs, but a crack was detected in a cannon bone. Screws were inserted to repair the injury. Fiftyshadesofgold spent two months recovering at a farm, the screws were removed, and Calhoun began training her at Fair Grounds in November.

“We were on a very tight schedule getting her to her first race back,” he said.

The timing and distance of the Sam Houston race made sense to him.

“Every other race was two turns against graded horses,” Calhoun said. “She wasn’t quite ready for that.”

She settled nicely in the Two Altazano and pulled away late, running the distance in 1:23.13 to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Now is the time to find out if Fiftyshadesofgold is ready for graded company.

“She’s only had the one race this year, so there’s certainly a lot of questions to answer,” Calhoun said.

◗ Grade 2 winner Sign, who finished last in a second-level optional $40,000 claiming sprint March 12 in her first start in more than 16 months, has been retired and is expected to be bred to Blame, trainer Al Stall Jr. said.