RACING ROUNDUP : St. Jovite Beats Dr Devious in Record Time

St. Jovite, owned by Kentucky’s Virginia Kraft Payson, became the first non-English horse to win the Irish Derby in six years by scoring a record 12-length victory over favored Dr Devious at Newbridge on Sunday.

St. Jovite, second to Dr Devious in the English Derby on June 3, covered the 1 1/2 miles at The Curragh in 2:25 3/5, three seconds better than the track record, and won $613,000.

Christy Roche, cleared to ride while awaiting an appeal of a 15-day suspension, rode St. Jovite, who went off as the 7-2 second favorite behind the 4-5 Dr Devious. Contested Bid finished third, a length behind Dr Devious.

“We would have been reluctant to run him without Christy,” said Jim Bolger, St. Jovite’s trainer. “Christy is crucial to the future of St. Jovite.

“I thought he would win, but not by 12 lengths. He had a knee injury before (the English Derby), but was spot on for this.”

Roche kept St. Jovite off the pace until five furlongs from the finish, then surged clear.

“I was very confident,” Roche said. “He’s now proved he’s the horse we always thought him to be.”

Of being allowed to ride pending his appeal, Roche, 42, said: “The drama of last week certainly didn’t help, but it all turned out well in the end.”

Sky Classic, the 2-5 favorite, won the $500,000 Caesars International Handicap by 1 1/4 lengths over Chenin Blanc at Atlantic City Race Course. He covered the 1 3/16 miles on turf in 1:52 1/5.