Saturday, April 19th - The Grand National

The Grand National, held in Butler, Maryland, is the second of Maryland's three great timber races which culminate in the Maryland Hunt Cup on May 26th.

Eight timber specialists faced starters William Wylie and Derek Graham Smith to contest the 106th Grand National run at a distance of about three miles for a purse of $35,000.00.

Sportsmans Hall's nine year old dark bay or brown gelding Private Attack was on or near the lead for most of the three mile route. Ridden by fifty-eight year old William Santoro and trained by Alicia Murphy, Private Attack had things pretty much his own way in the stretch. The winning time was 6:171/5. (Private Attack is pictured below leading Foiled Again, ridden by Alicia McKnight, early in the race. Foiled Again later fell.)

Irv Naylor's Askim, a winner of this event in 2006, trained by Anne Stewart and ridden by Charles Fenwick III, came on to finish second ahead of Arcadia Stables' Bubble Economy, last year's winner of this race, trained and ridden by Jack Fisher. (Askim and Charlie Fenwick are pictured at the right.)

According to an article in the Baltimore Sun Murphy plans to run Private Attack in the Maryland Hunt Cup next weekend.

Fenwick rode the winner of the second feature, the 43rd running of the Benjamin H. Murray Memorial Steeplechase for five year olds and upwards who have not won two races over timber at a recognized meeting, for a purse of $15,000.00, at a distance of at about three miles . Incomplete, owned by Robert A. Kinsley and trained by Ann D. Stewart, bested a field of eleven which included the second place finisher Twill Do, ridden by Billy Meister and third place finisher Battle Op ridden by H. Brooks Durkee. The winning time was 6:162/5, four fifths of a second faster than the Grand National.

The third race on the card, The Western Run Plate for five year olds and upwards to be ridden by amateur owner/riders, was won by Crestview Farm' eight year old Western Fling, ridden by Shane Burke. George Hundt, Jr. rode Lucy Stable's Professor Maxwell to second place. Kingdon Gould Jr.'s Comanche Station , ridden byBrooks Durkee and trained by Joe Davies ran third. The time for this race was 6 minutes 30 seconds. (Western Fling and Shane Burke are pictured at the left.

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Sunday April 20th - The Plumstead Races

Although Sunday's races were only the eighth renewal of the Plumstead Races - a mere babe in arms by comparison to the Grand National's one hundred six runnings - an entertaining afternoon of competitive racing took place in Unionville, Pennsylvania.

The nominal feature named the "Done Sleeping" Open Race was won by Native Mark owned and trained by Jack Griswold and ridden by James Stierhoff. (Native Mark and James Stierhoff are pictured at the right.)

This pair bested Rosbrian Farm's Tacloban ridden by Willie Dowling. Third place went to Rosbrian Farm's Rosbrian, who is incidentally also a previous winner, in 2005, of The Grand National.

The Plumstead Novice Race was won by Irv Naylor's Major Vernon, trained by Desmond Fogarty and ridden by Darren Nagle. (Major Vernon and Darren Nagle are pictured at the left.)

Jack Griswold's Sandyland trained by Louis Nelson III and ridden by Jake Staubin place second.

He's A Conniver, owned by Calvin Houghland, trained by Jonathan Sheppard and ridden by James Slater ran third.