From modest beginnings, Shifty She has lofty goals

Shifty She came out of her win in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at Belmont Oct. 24 in excellent shape and according to trainer, Saffie Joseph Jr., will be pointed to the inaugural running of the Grade 3, $500,000 Pegasus Filly and Mare Turf at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29.

“She is home now and doing great,” said Joseph. “The goal is the Pegasus, but we are going to start looking at a race for her before then.”

A 5-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Gone Astray, Shifty She was bred by Chris Pallas and his brother-in-law George Klein. She races for Pallas and Harvey Rothenberg, who enjoys racing Thoroughbreds but is a fanatic when it comes to football. Since 1967, he has been to all fifty-five Super Bowls.

Pallas knows a bargain when he sees one. He paid $1,500 for Mambo Meister, who won multiple Grade 3 races and earned $704,725. A highlight for Pallas was watching Mambo Meister run in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita, where he finished fifth.

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“It was not only rewarding but it was a great learning experience taking him across the country, running at all the different tracks,” said Pallas. “It was a real thrill having a horse in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Shifty She, who is out the unraced mare Perilous Hope, is the first graded winner Pallas bred. She came cheap.

“We got her for free. Friends of ours wanted to unload a couple of mares and we liked Perilous Hope because she was related to Grade 1 winners Educated Risk and Inside Information,” said Pallas. “My brother-in-law is an expert on pedigrees, and he thought Gone Astray would be a good fit. We paid $1,500 at an auction to breed to him. It just shows if you do the work, you can find a good horse without having to spend a lot.”

Pallas thought Shifty She had the potential to be something special when she started training as a 2-year-old.

“My eyes buzzed out of my head when I saw how she floated over the track,” he said.

Shifty She did not start as a baby, but won three of her four starts as a 3-year-old for trainer Lilli Kurtinecz.

After not racing in 2020, she has been a powerhouse this year, winning three of her six starts for Joseph, with all the wins coming in stakes races.

“She had a minor problem with a tendon, so we gave her some time,” said Pallas. “She is very determined and one of the best things about her is that she always breaks well.”

The classy mare broke on top and never looked back in the Noble Damsel. She is not a one-trick pony, though. She came from a stalking position when she won the $75,000 Powder Break at Gulfstream for her first stakes win on May 15.

Pallas loves the relationship he has developed with Joseph.

“He’s great,” said Pallas. “We are both detail-oriented and it amazes me that someone who trains 150 horses communicates so well. He always gets back to me when I call, and he keeps us well informed about everything.”

Pallas is looking at expanding his involvement in owning Thoroughbreds. Not in a big way, though.

“I just love the sport,” he said. “I am very conservative, but I have more partners and more money to spend so I will be looking for more bargains.”

Last Leaf short price

Last Leaf figures to be a short price in an open allowance race for 2-year-old fillies that headlines the nine-race card at Gulfstream on Sunday.

The 5 1/2-furlong race on Tapeta also has a $75,000 claiming option available. It drew six horses.

Last Leaf, trained by Ronald Spatz, is the only horse with more than one win. Her third victory came in her latest race, the $75,000 Hollywood Beach on Sept. 25, where she was running on turf for the first time.