view raw text
IMMENSE ATTENDANCE Rockingham Park Entertains One of Largest Crowds in Its History. . Mutuel Handle of Tremendous Proportions Pompeys Pillar Siuv prise Winner of Feature. SALEM, N. H., May 30. With the 0,000 added Decoration Day Handicap serving as the principal attraction, the New Hampshire Breeders Association played host to one of the largest crowds that ever visited Rockingham. The. "tote" department did a brisk business, and it was freely predicted that more than 00,000 would be wagered throughout the afternoon. The amount passed through the machines for the first five events reached the astounding total of 50,993. The Decoration Day Handicap provided an upset when the lightly-regarded Pompeys Pillar, from the stable of W. R. Coe, one of the outsiders in the field of fourteen, drove to the end a length to the good of Furfiber, another neglected one that races in the interest of Col. W. A. Jones. Cold Shoulder, a member of the A. G. Vanderbilt stable, closed an immense gap to take third before Ariel Cross, with Plat Eye, coupled with Up and Up as the Greentree Stable entry and stoutly supported, a neck back in fifth place. The triumph of Pompeys Pillar added ,550 to the W. R. Coe coffers. The field left to a good start after a couple of minutes delay. Rough Party, an improved filly, took up the burden of pace and showed the way rounding into the back stretch. Ariel Cross was right after the filly, and Richards, after having gained a forward position, was content to remain within striking distance of the leaders. Plat Eye was also right there, with Coucci "saving the Chicle colt under a nice steadying hold. Rough Party and Ariel Cross continued to make the running, with never more than half a length showing between the pair. Pompeys Pillar was on the outside at the stretch turn and, nearing the finish, the Coe colt "was showing in front by a head. Coucci had placed "the favorite under punishment, but was unable to improve his position. Pompeys Pillar continued to draw out until at the finish he was enjoying a clear lead. Rough Party faltered badly through the stretch, and then came again closing up. Furfiber and the Vanderbilt colt, which had been far back through the opening six furlongs, unleashed a burst of late speed that carried them into second and third places by short margins. Morpluck was another to close a good gap in the running. It was a noteworthy achievement on the part of Pompeys Pillar and jockey H. Richards, and brought joy to the long shot players, the "tote" return on the successful Pom-pey colt being 3. The Darb handed the talent a crushing blow in the Flanders Handicap, secondary attraction on the program. Supported with rare confidence and into odds-on favoritism, the five-year-old failed to lead any one of the field to the line, racing along in last place practically the entire six furlongs. The winner turned up in Accolade, from the stable, of D. Christmas. A. G. Vanderbilts Dreel was second and third went to the lot of Percy M. Pikes Indiantown. Accolades time, 1:11, was the fastest recorded so far at this meeting. Legender, under a particularly smart ride by apprentice Johnny Deering, raced to his third straight score of the meeting in the mile and a sixteenth of the fourth race. A neck in the wake of the winner at the close, Slipper King was second and the favorite, Taunton, was third.
