The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-22
SPRINTER FRANK BELL
A WONDERFUL HORSE
Has Won Fifty-One Races
and Captured S27,049.
HIS PEDIGREE NOT MUCH
Of Poor Blood Lines, Consistent Racer
Is Regarded by Turfmen as
a Freak.

LEXINGTON, KY, Dec. 22.-One in
teresting feature of winter racing has
been overlooked by sporting writer's, and
with 1t incidentally the fact that allu-
sion to the same brings to mind that the
famous Splinter, Frank Bell, is one of
the most remarkable performers now on
the turf, says a well-known authority
here When this horse won at New Or
leans last week he captured his fifty
nrst race, and is no doubt the only
horse now in winning form on the turf
with as many brackets to his credit
All told. he ran 162 races, and in II of his
starts that he did not win he was
placed so in I'D races he has been In
side the money. His money earnings,
too, are highly creditable, as he has won
for his owner S27,O49 in stakes and
purses. He began racing as a two-year-
old in 1898. and for six seasons he has
been on the turf. Here Is another re-
markable feature in his racing career,
as winter, summer, spring, and fall he
has been for the last half dozen years
constantly in training and with much
heroic ability as a race horse. What
makes the brilliant record of Frank Bell
of so much interest is the fact in breed
ing he is an enigma to students of pedi-
gree. His sire, Big Henry, was stake
winner, It is true. but horse no Ken
lucky breeder would have cared to have
at the head of a stud. He has fourteen
crosses In his pedigree. tracing back to
a mare by Curwen's Bay Barb, but a
quick glance at his line Of ancestry
shows no qualifications to produce a
horse able to win fifty-one races in the
best of company.
Pedigree Not Much.
Analysed, his pedigree stands strong
test, as his dam. Flora Leach. by Ma
rion, was out of Lade, a mare oy imp.
Bonnie Scotland. she in turn being by
Souci. by imp. Monarch. The family
thus has crosses of popular blood, but
Frank Bell is far anC- away the best
horse in his female line. Big Henry. his
sire, was son of Melbourne out Of the
very prolific brood meI,e Ida Gaines.
but the latter. though a daughter of
War Dance and remarkable producer.
was of short blood lines. Melbourne,
Big Henry's sire. was beautifully bred,
being by the St. Leger winner. imp.
Knight of st. George. out of imp Mel
rose, by the great English Melbourne.
Those always willing to establish
their claims might say Frank Bell gets
his racing Qualities from his grand
sire, Melbourne, but the unvarnished
fact remains that such a conclusion is
farfetched. and the most honest verdict
is that this brilliant turf winner Of
fifty-one creditable races is a freak I'm
breeding. That such a good horse can
come from the source 10 which he
traces perplexes sticklers Of certain lines
OF blood considerably and forces the
tardy admission that individuality has
as much TO do in producing a good
race horse as royal rlcod lines. Frank
Bell is also distinguished as an Illinois
production. being bred by N. Z. RawIs,
who has a small breeding establishment
near Pleasant Plains. The horses enc
mics claim he is only a sprinter and
quitting propensities mar his racing
record, and thus is his questionable
pedigree shown up. The truth is, Frank
Bell was never trained only for short
races and having won as far as he has
ever been asked to go, points to the
conclusion that nersectly fitted, like
Dick Welles. he would go any distance
The famous sprinter O'Connel, a horse
whose dam was a half-breed, was cited
often by the talent as not able TO GO
over six furiongs. but as soon as asked
to go another furlong he not only beat
star field Of horses, but ran the dis
lance in most sensational time. The
fact that Frank Bell has won fifty-one
races and is still racing for more
/ honors is glory enough to overshadow
all the evil said OF him, and the records
force the admitted fact that in this re-
spect he is today the hero OF the
American turf.