The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-08-13
FLORA BELLE.
The Great PAGER Purchased from Her Original
Owner for &1E.

The Great PAGER Purchased from Her Original
Owner for SIS.
Vincennes Special.
The celebrated Flora Belle, one of the fastest
horses in America, is a Vincennes mare, and
sporting-men here, and the citizens generally
feel proud of her. She is the property of Mr..
Jim Mccarthy, of this city. Flora Belle is not
on the turf this season. AS she is now 10 Ken
lucky, being in foal by Nutwood. Flora Bellies
best records were 2:164. made in Buffalo, and
2:l34 in Rochester, N. Y. in 1883. She made
better time than that later on at East Saginaw,
Mic IS where she made 1t In I'll, but she got no
recon- tor that. Flora Belle was once the prop
erty OF William II. Neal. of the Meredith House.
OF Washington, Ind. Mr.. Neal is very en-
thusiastic over his fayorite. He tells the follow
ing interesting and remarkable story of the great
PAGER
l bought Flora Belle from an old farmer near
btoioIu, Il lawrence county. when she was a
colt, paying him three FIVE dollar bills for the
animal. l was buying hogs through Lawrence
county, and l had bought a small drove from
the man OF whom | afterward purchased the
colt l wasn't IN the horse business then, but
the old fellow insisted on selling me a scrawny-
looking colt he had. He said he had paid SIS
cash, and ought to nave $40 more for his trouble
in raising the colt. So ] paid HIM his price and
drove the colt to Bedford with the parcel of
hogs. The next year she began to ~lengthen and
look like she had some speed in her. / broke
her to saddle, and she could outrack anything
ever saw. One day ] was racking her when she
suddenly changed her gait to a pace for the first
time and fairly flew along the road. She never
got a chance to rack again, forI began to cult
vate her for a PAGER. and she rapidly improved,
but at that time | did not think of going on the
turf with her myself, and in the spring of 1880 L
offered to sell her for 1925. but did not find a.
purchaser"
when was her irst race made?" was asked.
ION the Daviess county fair ground track, at
the Fourth of July races in $780," was the reply.
Il then had two or three other horses, and came
hnra frCv,, Ra1fOr1 ~ fol-a - %ho rooo. II 4:l-,A
intend to enter Flora, but she showed ND so well
l saw she could beat anything on the ground,
and l entered her for second place. John Burke
got first place, but Flora could easily have
beaten him, only l did not want to give her a
record on her first race. just after that race |
sold a half interest in the mare for $500 to DR..
Net Wilson"
How did she get the name of Flora BELIEF"
II didn't call her that at first. Her original
name was Sallie Black, but a young woman in
Lawrence county to whom / once loaned the
mare to ride to church objected to it, and | gave
her permission to change it. This she did, en-
broldering the name Flora Belle on a fancy linen
horse suit. l campa:gned with Flora Belle during
1851 and 1851, through part of Indiana and Hi
nols, and the mare steadily gained a reputation.
In the spring of 1882 We sold the mare TO Jim
Mccarthy, of Nincennes. for So, 600. We parted
with her too SOON" added Mr.. Neal. recretfu,lv.
IF we had kept her three months longer she
would have brought $40, 900 at least. Flora
Belle Is a great horse, and she made Jim Nc
earthly stacks OF money"
did Flora Belle come out of good stock?'
Her sire and dam were of good blood, but
neither of them was fast, and Flora Belle was a
sort of accident, as it were. After she sprang
INTO prominence, some fellow hunted up the old
stallion. He was working as a dray. horse. Sew
eral mares were bred to him, among them Flora
Bellies dam, but of course the quality of the
colts cannot be determined as yet. 1t is not
likely, | think. that any of them will ever begin
to rival the Belle"
Mr.. Mccarthy says he believes she could be
forced as low as 2:08. He viii put her on the
turf again IN the fall of 1886, and he thinks she
will be able to do as good work as ever.