Longshot Doctor Mounty holds off Projected in BWI Turf Cup

Larry Pratt and Dave Alden’s Doctor Mounty, a 25-1 longshot, gamely held off the defending champion and 1-2 favorite Projected to win Saturday’s $200,000 Baltimore-Washington International Turf Cup (G3) by a nose.

A 5-year-old son of Street Sense trained by Hall of Fame conditioner Shug McGaughey and ridden by Forest Boyce, Doctor Mounty covered a yielding mile course in 1:41.78. It was Doctor Mounty’s sixth victory in 22 starts and first since winning at Tampa Bay Downs in February.

After taking the lead from Dalarna at the top of the stretch, Doctor Mounty and Boyce had to hold off the driving Projected and jockey Joe Bravo, who were gaining with every stride inside the winner.

“I actually turned to Joe and asked him [if I won] and he said, ‘You definitely won,’” Boyce said.

Doctor Mounty had previously won an allowance optional claimer on Laurel’s turf course in 2016 and had finished second earlier this year on the course in the Henry Clark.

While Abiding Star set fractions of :24.38, :49.20 and 1:15.84 on the front, Boyce moved Doctor Mounty three-wide around the turn while Projected moved up along the inside.

“I kind of asked him a little earlier,” Boyce said. “There were a couple horses I was keeping my eye on. I wanted to make sure we got the jump on them.”

Doctor Mounty, who sold for $170,000 as a 2-year-old at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales June 2015 2-year-old and horses of racing age sale, entered the BWI off a seventh-place finish Sept. 6 in the Old Friends Stakes at Kentucky Downs.

The BWI was among six stakes worth $650,000 in purses on the 12-race ‘Class on the Grass’ program.