by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Seaford, DE — Joann Looney-King had just $2,000 to spend as she headed to the Delaware State Fairgrounds for Chick’s Harness Horse Sale last December.

She was hoping to buy a weanling to turn out with the one she already had. Apparently several bidders had the same idea, and each of the foals she was interested in quickly exceeded her price range. Loathe to go home empty-handed, she turned to the yearlings. A filly by Roddy’s Bags Again out of the Badlands Hanover mare Purrfectly Bad caught her eye. The filly’s pedigree was weak but so was interest from other bidders, and the gavel dropped for Looney-King at $2,000.

She excitedly called her husband, trainer Jim King, who was on his way to Dover Downs. Her announcement that she’d bought a Roddy’s Bags Again yearling out of Purrfectly Bad was greeted with silence.

“Don’t you remember Purrfectly Bad?” King asked her after a moment.

She replied that she didn’t.

“Well you owned her,” King said, “and she couldn’t go a quarter faster than 35 seconds.”

Fotowon photo

Purrfect Bags is unbeaten in seven career starts.

A year and more than $101,000 in earnings later, Looney-King laughs as she relates the story of the mistake buy turned stakes winner Purrfect Bags. The filly is undefeated as she heads into Monday night’s (Dec. 8) $100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund final for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Dover Downs.

“Whatever happens happens,” Looney-King said. “It’s been a ball.”

As she seeks her eighth win this year, Purrfect Bags, who starts from post four for regular driver Victor Kirby, is expected to face stiff competition from fellow elimination winners Totally Rusty and Gigi Deo. Totally Rusty’s lone defeat this year came against Purrfect Bags in October, while Gigi Deo is coming off the fastest elimination win in 1:53.

Naturally Looney-King is hoping to meet Purrfect Bags in the winner’s circle but says that no matter what happens, she’s had the time of her life.

“In 60 years I’ve done a lot but this has been the best,” she said. “I’ve had hundreds of claimers. I’ve had some good ones. But she’s the best horse I’ve ever had. It’s been the most surprising thing in my entire life.”

Looney-King said that even though she lost her fervor for Purrfect Bags that day at the sale when she remembered who her dam was, she began to regain interest in the filly this spring when she started training. She really got excited after Tim Tetrick went a mile with her.

“He came off the track with a giant smile on his face and said ‘I like her,’” Looney-King recalled.

The sweet-tempered filly proved worthy of the praise and hasn’t made a wrong move yet. She won her first race at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sept. 28 and returned to her home state to sweep the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund races at Harrington Raceway. Following a win against non-winners of five competition at Dover, she’s continued to dominate against the Delaware-bred fillies.

“I know she’s not going to win every week but it’s been fun,” said Looney-King, who smiles every time she sees Purrfect Bags’ photo on her cell phone. “I’m just so thankful.”

She says she just hopes the filly continues to stay sound and enjoys racing as she enters her 3-year-old season.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time,” she said. “I’m happy for what I get.”

$100,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund 2FP Final
PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer-Line
1-Totally Rusty-Corey Callahan-Douglas Lewis-6-5
2-Brian’s Thunder-Jim Morand-Les Givens-30-1
3-Fly Me Courageous-George Dennis-George Dennis-30-1
4-Purrfect Bags-Victor Kirby-Jim King Jr.-2-1
5-Spin Vision-Tim Tetrick-Virginia Louthan-8-1
6-Gigi Deo-Ross Wolfenden-Aaron Lambert-9-2
7-Western Sunshine-Anthony Morgan-Charlene Sharpe-12-1
8-Riggins Route-Allan Davis-Douglas Lewis-30-1