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ROMAN SOLDIER BEST Proves His Superiority in Decoration Day Handicap at Rockingham. Two Dead Heats Mark Sport Before Largest Crowd Ever to Visit Salem Course. SALEM, N. H., May 30 Before the largest throng that ever jammed its way through the gates of Rockingham Park, Roman Soldier, the stirring handicap performer from the stable of Elwood Sachsenmaier, proved pounds the best in the mile and a sixteenth Decoration Day Handicap, that featured the holiday sport. At the end Johnny Longden had his whip in his boot and Roman Soldier was an easy victor by a length over Araho Stables New Deal, J. W. Y. Martins Dixie and Narragansett Handicap winner, Dark Hope, ran third, a half length back of the second horse, and Leon Carters Black Gift was fourth in the field of seven. The crowd today must have numbered around 25,000, possibly more. It packed every seat and aisle in the grandstand, overflowed into the clubhouse and grandstand lawns and was wedged tight right down to the stretch turn. It appeared that at least 00,-000 would be wagered in the "tote" after the first five races. The crowd came out in droves despite threatening skies in the morning and early afternoon. Roman Soldier was in tight quarters twice and was taken back once, then came through a narrow opening on the rail to win. But for this he would simply have romped to victory in the race. Furfiber was the first to show, but as they rounded into the back stretch, Dark Hope went to the van, with first Black Gift and then Furfiber after him. Heads and necks separated the first three horses around the turn and into the back stretch Roman Soldier was rated third by Longden at this stage. Approaching the far turn they closed up. It appeared that Longden would go through an opening at this point and into the lead, but instead he took back sharply and did not move until the head of the stretch, where he came through a nairower opening on the rail. He whipped his mount into the lead at the head of the home lane and, although New Deal was coming fast in the stretch, he could not catch Roman Soldier. That was obvious a sixteenth out, and Longden did not again go to the whip. Roman Soldier carried top weight of 126 pounds and ran another race at the start, delaying it for many minutes by his wild lunges and" capers. The second dead heat of the meeting came in the third event and as in the previous tie, the race was one which decided the "Daily Double." Corsicana Stables Blessed Event and Bye Bye Mary, from the Mrs. F. C. Dunn barn, got to the line so closely locked that the camera could not separate them. A length and a half back of the battling pair, Mrs. V. Wyses Tornadic earned third money. Once more the majority of those in the press stand disagreed with the camera. It appeared that Bye Bye Mary had won by at least a nose, some calling it as much as a head. Mrs. Ed McCuans Leros led the way in the first event at five and a half furlongs, drawing away in the stretch to score by two lengths over the choice, Dixie Princess, which carried the colors of Miss A. Doris. P. A. Shaws Radiator was three lengths back of the runner-up in third place and Giantess ran fourth in the field of a dozen. Bill Gallagher and Johnny Donovan, two well-known gentlemen from BroaSway, moved their Say When way up in the Second, but he was equal to the task and got home two and a half lengths in front of his opponents. C. V. Whitneys Percent was closest to the winner at the finish and A. G. Vanderbilts Prevaricate was third, another : length and a half back. The well backed Square, which had a hard time finding running room on the turn, finished fourth in the five furlongs event. Only seven went to the post. The second dead heat of the afternoon and the third of the current meeting came in the sixth event on the card, at a mile and a sixteenth. W. Elliotts Miss Careful and the Suburban Stables Rock Point were the horses which figured in this tie. It appeared that this event was much closer to being a dead heat than the other event the camera called a tie. The pair came to the finish with heads bobbing down at the same time and flashed under the wire stride for stride. Glynson ran third in the field of half a dozen and Martin Barton was fourth. Thompson rode Rock Point and H. Le Blanc was up on Miss Careful. The time was 1:46. Johnny Longden was the riding star of the afternoon, scoring astride Roman Soldier, Blue Day and Blessed Event, the horse that figured in the dead heat with Bye Bye Mary. Blue Day came from somewhere in the woods to beat Jessie D. M. by a nose in the fourth event at five and a half furlongs. Jessie D. M., under the silks of Mrs. Ed Mc-Cuan, set put to make a runaway of the event, and Blue Day, carrying A. G. Tarns colors, was next to last as they hit the turn. Jessie D. M. had piled up such a long lead that it appeared impossible she could come back fast enough. Longden put the winner to vigorous pressure on the outside in the stretch and just got up. Keokee, carrying Mrs. Nat Rays colors, was half a length back of the leading pair to take third, and Jackfull, a well played one, finished fourth in the field of eight.
