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The 3 1/4 mile Grand National for a purse of $35,000, the middle jewel of Maryland timber racing trio which culminates in April 28th's classic, The Maryland Hunt Cup, was won by Arcadia Stable's Bubble Economy, trained by Jack Fisher and ridden by Diana Gillam. The time for the race was 6 minutes, 7 seconds.

All was not a walk in the park for the winner Bubble Economy shown above at the right making a bad mistake at the eighth fence. (Classical Cat is at the left.)

Above is the eventual winner Bubble Economy and jockey Diana Gillam landing after hooking the eighth fence.

Jockey Diana Gillam, above, is in serious trouble with the eventual winner Bubble Economy at the eight fence. Amazingly she was able to get back in the plate and go on to win the Grand National.

As the winner of the Grand National, Bubble Economy becomes eligible for a $30,000 bonus, put up by the Maryland Amateur Timber Association, should he win next Saturday's Maryland Hunt Cup. However, according to Paul McMullen, in the Sunday Baltimore Sun, Bubble Economy's owner Andre Brewster has declined to run the eight year old Bubble Economy in the Hunt Cup, saying that three weeks in a row was too much.

As the Maryland Hunt Cup fences are the largest and the race the longest of the three spring Maryland timber races, perhaps the connections of Bubble Economy feel that he and jockey Diana Gillam used up most of their racing luck in the Grand National.

Bubble Economy had run second to Pack Up Stable's Fappa Fire in the My Lady's Manor Steeplechase a week ago. Fappa Fire was not entered in the Grand National.

Danielle Brewster Oster rode Make Your Own, trained by Charles C. Fenwick, Jr. to second place in the Grand National, just ahead of Irv Naylor's Patriot's Path trained by Bruce Haynes and ridden by Russell Haynes.

The 42nd Running of the Benjamin H. Murry Memorial

The Murray Timber race, for a purse of $15,000, was won by Broderick Munro-Wilson's Coal Dust trained by Louis Nelson III and ridden by Blair Wyatt. Coal Dust had won the Ladies Race at the Cheshire Point-to-Point, which due to lack of entries, was combined with the Heavyweight Race. Coal Dust no only won the Ladies Race; but also beat all the Heavyweights as well. (Coal Dust and Blair Wyatt are pictured at the right at the eighth fence.)

Sportsmans Hall's Private Attack, trained by Alicia Murphy and ridden by William Santoro, ran second and Lucy Goelet's Twill Do trained and ridden by Billy Meister placed third.

The Western Run Plate

The Western Run Plate, Amateur Highweight Timber race was won by Robert A. Kinsley's Incomplete, trained by Ann D. Stewart and ridden by Blake Curry.