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OAKLAWFS EXCITING DAY STORM OF RAIN AND HAIL AN UNWELCOME FEATURE OF THE AFTERNOON. Grumpy Defeats Thornhill in a Closely-Contested Finish — Favorites in Eclipse and Overlooked Outsiders Tak2 the Money — Purses Raised. Hot Springs. Ark.. March 15. — Threatening weather and intermittent light showers finally culminated, right after the running of the fifth race, in a terrific hail and rain storm. The riders and horses engaging in the fifth race were petted unmercifully o!i their return to the judges* stand, when the storm raged at its height. The storm had been brewing gradually, but notice of its intensity did not come until the horses were well on their way to the barrier in the fifth race. At tliis, juncture a mantle of darkness enshrouded the eourse and it was with difficulty that objects could be distinguished BCtOOS the track. The colors on tin- different starters could not be discerned aeciirat ■-ly with strong glasses until they Beared the finish. The rain continued for the remainder of the afternoon, the final race being decided in a veritable deluge, the rain coming down in a solid sheet Bad making it impossible to tell the colors accurately until the field appeared at the finish. Despite the threatening weather conditions, another immense attendance was on hand. The high-water mark for numbers of layers in line was reached this afternoon, when the limit — forty — were in line. There were five more who had aie-plied to quote prices, bat as only forty spaces are available in the ring, the first forty on the list were given preference. The price purveyors did a thriving and lucrative business, for the win ners were hard to locate and the talent suffered repeatedly. Closing Ra.ce Run Over Muddy Track. The track was firm for the decision of the first four races, the light showers not affecting it ti any extent, the mile ami an eighth handicap l e-ing run within a fifth of a second of the track record, when Crumpy beat Thornhill in a tight finish in 1:53. It was dulled some for the fifth race, but the closing race was over a muddy track. The failure of the choices began in the opener, when Rose Point brought up last, having been t.iken with a hemorrhage just before rounding into the stretch and wheu in a contending position. Handfull was the next offender. He was sore when going to the post and ran in keeping with his condition. Black Frost was given the call in tin-third, but jockey Merimees incompetency accounted for his failure. Crumpy and Thornhill were ahoat equal choices in the fourth and they fought it out in hard fashion. Othello, i.rizz and Pocklchoo were most fancied in the fifth and they brought up in the rear. The disastrous afternoon wound up with a victory for Jessie Louise, which regained her best form suddenly today and spread-eagled the others. Titrco taking second place. After Ston ehenge was beaten in the third race, he was claimed by 0. H. Edmonds for 00. General Manager Joseph E. Martin has made another voluntary raise in the purses for tomorrow.
