Matthew McCarron, right, riding P.C. Plod holds off Robert Massey on Devil's Reach during the last lap of Saturday's featured Regions Bank Imperial Cup race at the 2002 Aiken Spring Steeplechase. McCarron went on to win. CHRIS THELEN/STAFF

Riding atop P.C. Plod, McCarron pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Devil's Reach, the same horse McCarron won the race with last year.

He ran the 2 1/4-mile race, the $30,000 Regions Bank Imperial Cup, in 4:21 1/5 in front of a crowd estimated at more than 30,000 people.

Devil's Reach, ridden by jockey Robert Massey, led most of the way. It trailed briefly during the second lap when the third and only other horse in the race, Electron, passed.

Electron crashed soon after taking the lead trying to clear one of the final fences. P.C. Plod used the opportunity to sprint past Devil's Reach to victory.

"I was pretty worried about Electron," said McCarron, who lives in Maryland. "He kind of had me bottled up. (The crash) allowed me to get out and ahead Devil's Reach. (P.C. Plod) was relaxed the whole way."

The victory is McCarron's third Imperial Cup and gave owner Kinross Farm the $30,000 purse, the largest of the day's six races. McCarron's other win came in 1996.

"I'm sorry I had to beat (Devil's Reach), but it's nice they got second," McCarron said.

Electron was disqualified after not finishing the race but was not injured, jockey Tom Foley said.

Foley said Electron got overexcited as it jumped the fence.

"It's just part of racing," Foley said.

In the opening 1-mile flat race, Al Skywalker won the W.C. Jackson event in 2:15 with Foley aboard. Jennifer Majette is the horse's owner and trainer. Miles Ahead placed second, and River Bed took third.

In other 2 1/4-mile action, Yonder won the James W. Maloney race with jockey Gus Brown at 4:29 1/5. The horse is trained by Jonathan Sheppard and owned by the Augustin Stables. Trebizond placed second, and Mauritania was third.

Catvantageous won the G.H. Bostwick at 4:17 4/5 and was ridden by Massey. Doug Fout trains the horse, which is owned by EMO Stables. Sunworld placed second, and Chief Suspect was third.

Natty Boh won the Budweiser Cup with jockey David Bentley in 4:23. Katherine Neilson trains the horse. Move Up Stable and Nancy Reed own it. Unalienable Right placed second, and Comanche Raider took third.

Snowball Flannagan, with Gus Brown aboard, won the Ford D. Conger race in 4:28. It's trained by Janet Elliot and owned by S.K. Johnston Jr. Val placed second, and Following Lead was third.

Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 279-6895 or josh.gelinas@augustachronicle.com.