BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, May 30, 2015—After
a $7,500 farm buyback (In the Arsenal) won the $300,000 Art Rooney Pace
Saturday night, the bargain-basement theme continued.
Purrfect Bags (Vic Kirby, $24.60), who
sold for all of $2,000, rolling through the lane, winning Yonkers Raceway’s
$117,724 Lismore for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
Unraced parimtuelly for 52 days and
with three qualifiers lead into her local debut, Purrfect Bags—from post No.
5—watched as Totally Rusty (Jason Bartlett), the only $15,000 supplemental entrant
into this race, made the lead before a :27.3 opening quarter-mile. That one’s
wagering partner, Strut My Stuff (Jordan Stratton) was settled, as Sassa
Hanover (George Brennan), the 2-5 choice, received her marching orders.
“Sass” found the front, setting a spiffy :55.3 half when Bedroomconfessions
(Brian Sears) moved from fourth. Purrfect Bags—from post No. 5—was behind her
in and out of a 1:24.3 three-quarters. Meanwhile, Sassa Hanover had a couple of
lengths turning for home, but Purrfect Bags was launched.
She went up and over the leader, widening to win by two lengths in a
season’s-best 1:52.3. Sassa Hanover was second, with Bedroomconfessions third.
Strut My Stuff and Totally Rusty settled for the minor moolah, while Special
Package (Dave Miller) was outrun.
For third choice Purrfect Bags, a daughter
of Roddy’s Bags Again owned by JoAnn Looney-King and trained her husband, Jim
King Jr., it was her third win in four ’15 tries (career 10-for-12, earnings of
$205,612). The exacta paid $48.80, with no triple wagering due to the
abbreviated number (five) of wagering interests.
“(Trainer) Jim) (King Jr.) had her very
sharp,” Kirby said. “She really only had to pace about an eighth of a mile, and
when I asked her, she just put her butt down and took off.
“Her last race (statebred final at Dover)
was all my fault. I drove her very badly. She has a burst of speed, I’m just
glad to have a chance to drive her and tonight was definitely worth the trip.”
“When I bought her (for $2,000), my
husband wasn’t very pleased, Ms. King—who won this race a season ago as trainer
of Tyra--said. “She the same as Tyra. Both are very fast and both try very
hard.”
