TROTTING HOUSES. 77 



famous part of his career, declared that he never 

 drove a better broken horse. 



Rarus was a ran-}- bay, of high courage, with a plain 

 though blood-like and intelligent head, a good neck, 

 but rather poor feet. Excepting the tendency to in- 

 flammation in his feet, lie was a remarkably healthy 

 horse, never losing his appetite despite the long jour- 

 neys that he made and the hard races that he trotted. 

 At one time Rarus served as a foil for Goldsmith 

 Maid, just as in earlier days George M. Fatchen, John 

 Morgan, and other horses did for Flora Temple, and 

 as the same Patchen and Princess did later for Dex- 

 ter. But in this case there was a difference. Rarus 

 was much younger than Goldsmith Maid, and he was 

 controlled by a driver who had no notion of using him 

 up in hopeless contests. 



Both horses spent the winter of 1876-77 in Cali- 

 fornia, where they gave some " exhibition " races, no 

 pools being sold, and it being understood that Rarus 

 would not attempt to win. In the spring, a purse 

 was offered in a " free-for-all " race, near San Fran- 

 cisco, and both Goldsmith Maid and Rarus were 

 entered. The betting men in general supposed that 

 the Maid would have an easy victory, but Rarus de- 

 feated her, Splan and his friends thus winning a 

 great sum. This race marked the end of Goldsmith 

 Maid's public career. Rarus took her place as a 

 " star " performer, and two years later he was sold to 

 Mr. Robert Bonner for .^36,000. 



Xo sketch of Rarus would be complete without 

 some mention of his remarkable friendship for a dog. 

 When the horse was in California, a fireman s^ave to 

 Splan a wiry-haired Scotch terrier pup, who was then 



