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SPIXIS CLOSE FINISH AT SALEM Takes Salem Center Claiming Handicap at Rockingham Park After Hard Fought Contest. SALEM, N. H., May 31. Sprinters were called upon to furnish the entertainment in the feature offering at Rockingham Park this afternoon. The feature was the Salem Center Claiming Handicap, at five and a half furlongs, for a purse of ,500. It brought together a half dozen shifty performers, each with a claiming price of ,000. It was a thrilling contest for every stride of the journey, culminating in one of the most spirited finishes witnessed at the meeting. Spixi made amends for the defeat of Hug Again in the fourth by adding the purse in the feature to the account of J. U. Gratton. Happy Knot, in the silks of Mrs. D. Melanson, was awarded second place, and Character, from the Jersey Stable, defeated the public choice, Carisbrpoke, for third. Happy Knot and Carisbrooke possessed the most speed and went out to make the running, racing heads apart as the field sped down the back stretch. The Gratton three-year-old showed the way to the others by a slight margin Character headed the others, while Proud Girl brought up the A rear. f The battle between" the two leaders was carried on right down to the last sixteenth. Laidley had gone to the whip on Spixi and Character had also been placed under punishment. Through the final stages it was a spirited drive, with the four leaders coming down so closely aligned that the official placing had to be displayed to determine the positions of the first three at the finish. Just before the horses paraded to the post for the fourth race showers began to fall and continued for the remainder of the afternoon. After the tremendous holiday crowd of Thursday, a surprisingly large crowd was on hand to witness the sport. An upset marked the third, another test over five and one-half furlongs engaging a field of seven, under claiming conditions. Crack Flyer proved the disappointment. Supported with rare confidence, the My Play gelding was backed into odds-on favoritism. The choice, after showing the speed to assume a slight lead, quit in the stretch, failing to land in the first three. Lan, a winner in his last trip to the post, was returned the winner, defeating Star-ogan, while Advocate Junior took down the show split of the purse. Another well-backed choice went down to defeat when Sandy Bill, a newcomer from New York making his first start over the Salem track, failed to land in the money. Mrs. R. T. Flippen furnished the winner in Chinese Empress, with Fake second, after having taken the lead in the stretch. Phar-atime, under punishment the entire last five-sixteenths, was third well clear of Sandy Bill- Golden Rod Stables Wee Wink won. her second straight purse of the meeting, racing to a front-running score in the seventh. The finish found the Stimulus miss better than two lengths to the good. Mountain Elk, after racing along in second place throughout, saved that part of the purse from Four Spot.
