The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-14
rRoTTING HORSES.
The Growth and Development
of This Animal.

San Francisco, CAL, January II, 1877.
In that race Rarus and Sam Purdy each
pulled wagon. Sam Purdy was con-
sidered great wagon horse and had
trotted number of distanced races of
two and three mile heats, and was sue
cessful in all OF them until he met
Rarus. Many good judges thought that
Rarus would prove poor horse to
wagon. Many thought that his long
back, rather light limbs and that the
lack Of muscular development OF the
loin quarter and gaskin, which pleases
the eye Of a horseman and is suggestive
of power, was lacking in Rarus.
When that horse came on the turf and
commenced his career many prophesied
tnst he would prove failure. And
those people based their judgment on
tho formation of tho horse. Therefore.
1 say. no man can determine the speed
capacity of an animal by his size and
form. The stallion Sam Purdy was just
the opposite formation CT Rarus. Purdy
was we'll known in Virginia, aud died
about sixteen months since at Parkers-
burg, w. Va, at Major Daingerield's,
who owned him at the time of his death.
Sam Purdy was sired by George M.
Patchen, Jr., and resem bled his sire
very much. He was about sixteen hands
and every point about him denoted
strength and speed, and he had lots of
speed, but he was a very slothful horse,
and it required driver that would not
spare the whip to make Purdy do any
thing like his best.
He was what call cunning horse
and would fool the man who drove him
If he could. I think there are one or
| two of his sons in Roanoke that are in
| the same class One is o roam. gelding
and the other is brown stallion. The
| writer has been introduced to both of
| these horses and find that both inherit
| the characteristics of their sire. Sam
| Purdy was very successful horse in his
| day and trotted great many races in
| California and in the Northern and
| Eastern States, he made his record OF
2:3011 at Buffalo, New York, against
| large field of horses, A very promising
| filly by Purdy is now being handled and
She is the property of p. l.. Terry and
if nothing happens to her, she will be
| heard from in loud notes before long.
The climate Of California seemed to
| agree with Rarus, and he continued to
| improve ia speed from the day that he
landed there. Two weeks after his race
with Sam Purdy he defeated st. James
and May Howard at San Francisco,
| Rarus to wagon and the others to har-
ness; time, 2:26. 2:2611, 2:20. He de-
| feated Bodine at the same track two
weeks afterward in 2:23, 2:2Oh, o:22.
| Seven days afterward he met Gold
smith Maid for the first time, at San
Jose, CAL, and was Obliged to lower his
colors to the plucky daughter of Alex
| ander's Abdallah, who, though in her
twentieth year, showed the speedy
| gelding to the wire in the time Of
2:22%, 2:1GA, 2:1sA. They met again
| at Los Angeles. and again the Maid beat
him in 2:2S11, 2:19, 2:194.
They tried titles again at Chicago
May 10, and although the game little
mare was again victorious, she was
forced to trot one of the fastest heats
that she ever did in race to get her
nose under the wire ahead of the big
bay gelding, who showed remarkable
courage and endurance, and proved that,
excepting Goldsmith Maid, there was
nothing upon the turf that could beat
him. Splann and Rarus were "lcaded
| for bear" that day, and made the Maid
trot in 2:16, 2:l414. 2:17. What per-
| formance for % year old mare, which
had been battling trotting giants unin-
terruptedly for ten years. In this race
be it remembered that the Maid trotted
within one half second of her best time.
| 2:l4, made against the watch at the Mys
| tic track, Boston, 1876. Their next race
was at San Francisco, May &c, 1877, just
| one week after the remarkable race Just
| mentioned.
Rarus defeated the renowned queen.
who. after taking the first heat in 2:l6,
was compelled TO yield the next three
heats to her gallant rival in 2:194,
2:l01I, 2:20. Rarus was then shipped
East, and during the season met and
defeated the fastest and gamest trotters
on the turf. He trotted in twenty three
races and won first money in nineteen,
proving himself invincible against any
trotter that could be produced, except
ing the peerless Goldsmith Maid, to
whom he was forced to yield four times
in succession, but finally compelled her
to lower her colors in the fifth race, and
he was never called upon to meet her
again.
The season of 1878 found Rarus on
hand bright and early lie started at
Pittsburg, Pa. May 81, to beat 2:1S, but
the best he could do was gel. AZ East
Saginaw, Mich, June ~. he trotted
against the watch and reduced his time
to 2:174, 1:26, 2:1615. He continued to
trot against the watch, until Julv 2Tth
at Cleveland, Ohio, where ne stopped
the ticker at 2:14 PAS, 2:14. This was
in match to average 2:1S He started
at Buffalo August Sd to beat 2:14, and
his time was 2:174, geo, 21:34, and
Goldsmith Maids record was beaten,
and Rarus was king of trotters At
Hartford, Conn, 23d Of same month, he
won $4,000 by trotting three heats to
beat 2:lS. His time in that race was
2:15,2: 3H, 1888.
lie trotted great many races against
time at different places that season, but
failed to equal his time (2:134) He