'Chasing Circles: Derwins Prospector upsets in Maryland Hunt Cup

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Owner Gerry Brewster, trainer Joe Davies and jockey Gonzague Cottreau raise their trophies in celebration after Derwins Prospector's win in the 121-st running of the Maryland Hunt Cup. (NSA Photo)

Maryland's Hunt Cup became a two-horse race with a French jockey aboard the winner beating an Irish-bred horse ridden by an English jockey in a breath-taking finish.

Ten horses went postward in the $100,000 race of four miles over 22 timber fences, some of which are five feet high.

The course took its toll.

With a mile run, only four of the original 10 starters remained with the other six either fallen or losing their riders.

Our Town, coming from a seventh place finish in the Benjamin H. Murray Memorial this season, lost McLane Hendriks at the penultimate 23rd fence leaving two to compete for the winner's check of $60,000.

At the wire, Gerry L. Brewster's Derwins Prospector was the victor by three parts of a length over Bruton Street-US's Drift Society.

Gonzague Cottreau, a French amateur was aboard Derwins Prospector for trainer Joe Davies. British amateur Hadden Frost rode the Irish-bred Drift Society for leading National Steeplechase Association trainer Jack Fisher.

Derwins Prospector stopped the timer in 9:46:1/5 over a Worthington Farm course labeled good.

Derwins Prospector was a betting long shot if the hallowed Hunt Cup was pari-mutuel. He finished fourth in the Grand National 27 lengths behind defending champion Senior Senator, another Joe Davies trainee who would have been favored off his Grand National win a week earlier and in last year's Maryland Hunt Cup.

Owner Skip Crawford and trainer Davies saw their hopes for a repeat in the Hunt Cup dashed when Senior Senator went down early in this year's running.

Brewster collected $60,000 for Derwins Prospector's effort. Bruton Street-US's Drift Society earned $18,000. The NSA's Reverted Purse Fund gets the other $22,000.

The win for Derwins Prospector, his first over fences, boosted his career earnings to $80,190.