James Thomas Bell, better known by the nickname Cool Papa, is considered one of the fastest players in baseball history, perhaps even the fastest. Bell, an outfielder, was one of the stars of the Negro Leagues, playing from 1922-46, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974.
Stories of Cool Papa Bell’s speed are legendary, most notably Satchel Paige’s oft-repeated tale that Bell was so fast he could flip off the light switch and be in bed before the room was dark. So, when horse owner and former college baseball standout Scott Farber was deciding on a new name for a yearling trotter he purchased last fall, he turned to the national pastime.
The horse he bought under the name Seven Year Itch became Cool Papa Bell.
Cool Papa Bell has finished no worse than second in six races this season, winning three and earning $124,774 for Farber’s Runthetable Stables and trainer Jim Campbell. On Friday, he competes in the first of four International Stallion Stakes divisions at Red Mile.
“I’m a big baseball guy, and I take a lot of pride in my knowledge of the game and the history and the players,” Farber said. “Cool Papa Bell was known for his speed. I was hoping the horse would live up to the great baseball player’s name, and so far, he’s done just that.”
Farber purchased Cool Papa Bell for $100,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. It was the first time Farber, who now primarily races homebreds produced by his six-broodmare band, spent six figures on a yearling.
Cool Papa Bell is a son of Chapter Seven out of Blk Thai Optional. He is a full brother to filly Aela Jamieson, who was second to Iteration in last year’s New York Sire Stakes championship for two-year-old female trotters. His family also includes Breeders Crown champ Martiniontherocks and Peter Haughton Memorial winner Weingartner.
“I wanted a Chapter Seven; I wanted to race in New York, it’s a great program,” Farber said. “It’s a lot of travelling, but it’s a great program. I liked his full sister, Aela Jamieson. I followed her very closely.
“So, I went to Jim, like I do at every sale, and told him the horses I like. I don’t care if it’s one dollar or a hundred-thousand dollars, without Jim’s approval on a yearling, I don’t do it. We were in agreement (on Cool Papa Bell). I liked the horse from his pedigree. Jim liked the horse from the look and the video and all that good stuff, so we went ahead.”
Farber’s Runthetable Stables topped $1 million in earnings for the first time in 2020 and was nominated for Breeder of the Year by the U.S. Harness Writers Association thanks to the success of homebreds Next Level Stuff (Breeders Crown winner), Hobbs (New York Sire Stakes champ) and Take All Comers (Grand Circuit winner). That success enabled Farber to pursue Cool Papa Bell.
“I had a really good year last year, so I was able to extend my normal range of purchase power and we got him,” Farber said. “I always like to have one that Jim picks out if I can afford it just to supplement the homebreds. As it turned out with Cool Papa Bell, it’s a good thing that I did. My (two-year-old) homebreds were turned out this year for growth and various things that two-year-olds get turned out for, and this guy has kind of stepped in and saved the day from my two-year-olds standpoint. I’m very fortunate to have him.”
Cool Papa Bell, who won three preliminary rounds of the New York Sire Stakes series and finished second in the final, is the 9-2 morning line third choice in his International Stallion division. Branded By Lindy, coming off a 1:52 win in a division of the Bluegrass Stakes, is the 9-5 favourite while Peter Haughton and William Wellwood Memorial winner King Of The North is the 2-1 second pick.
“To this day, everything has gone to plan (with Cool Papa Bell), but it’s a big step up on Friday,” Farber said. “We’re going to find out a lot about what this horse has and whether he’s a Breeders Crown-type horse.
“Jim is a very conservative guy, so he’s not making any promises, which you can’t make in this business, but he really likes the horse. I like that he tries, I like that he’s professional, I like the things Jim tells me. It’s very encouraging.”
Racing begins at 1 p.m. (EDT) Friday at Red Mile. For more information regarding the card, which also includes two divisions of International Stallion Stakes for two-year-old female pacers, click here. For complete entries on the USTA website, click here.
(USTA)