St. Jovite (USA)
March 11, 1989 – January 9, 2016
Pleasant Colony (USA) x Northern Sunset (IRE), by Northfields (USA)
Family 5-h
March 11, 1989 – January 9, 2016
Pleasant Colony (USA) x Northern Sunset (IRE), by Northfields (USA)
Family 5-h
Probably the best horse ever bred by longtime horsewoman Virginia Kraft Payson, St. Jovite was the toast of Europe as a 3-year-old of 1992. He was slated to be aimed at a 4-year-old campaign in North America in hopes that he would become the first horse to win Horse of the Year honors on both sides of the Atlantic. Instead, he suffered a tendon injury while training for his first American start and was retired. His stud career was equally anticlimactic.
Race record
11 starts, 6 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$1,631,032 (including converted foreign earnings from England, France and Ireland)
1991:
1992:
Honors
Assessments
Earned a Timeform rating of 135 pounds as a 3-year-old.
Highweighted among European-based horses of 1992 at 135 pounds on the International Classification, 6 pounds above the next-ranked horse.
Highweighted among 3-year-old males of 1992 in both France and Ireland over 9.5 to 11 furlongs.
As an individual
A rangy dark bay or brown horse, St. Jovite stood 16.1 hands. He had a very good shoulder and excellent if somewhat round action. He was perhaps somewhat tied in below the knee. He preferred to run close to the lead. Top Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien, who as a young man was an exercise rider for St. Jovite, recalled him as being “tough and hardy, but kind of slow,” suggesting that he lacked a strong turn of foot.
As a stallion
A disappointing sire, St. Jovite begot only 138 winners (30.1%) and eight stakes winners (1.7%) from 458 named foals of racing age according to records kept by The Jockey Club. Edward Bowen's Matriarchs II: More Great Mares of Modern Times (2008, Blood-Horse Publications) credits him with nine stakes winners.
Notable progeny
Amerique (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, St. Jovite was bred and owned by Virginia Kraft Payson. He was trained by Jim Bolger, transferring to the barn of Roger Attfield after his return to North America. He entered stud in 1993 in Kentucky at Payson Stud, moving to Greentree Stud, County Tipperary, Ireland in 2006. He was pensioned in 2014 and was transferred to Baysax Manor Stud near The Curragh, Ireland, where he was humanely destroyed due to the infirmities of old age on January 9, 2016.
Pedigree notes
St. Jovite's pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to multiple Grade 2 winner Lac Ouimet and a half brother to multiple Grade 2 winner Salem Drive (by Darby Creek Road) and to 1996 Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3) winner L'Carriere (by Carr de Naskra). St. Jovite is also a half brother to Dry North (by Temperence Hill), dam of restricted stakes winner Fly North (by Pleasant Colony) and second dam of 2002 American champion 3-year-old filly Farda Amiga. In addition, St. Jovite is a half brother to Charette (by Chief's Crown), dam of stakes winner Powder (by Broad Brush) and second dam of Grade 2 winner One Caroline.
St. Jovite and his siblings are out of 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Northern Sunset, whose dam Moss Greine (by Ballymoss) is a half sister to English stakes winner Prince of Greine (by Arctic Prince) and 1961 Tetrarch Stakes winner Time Greine (by Arctic Time). Moss Greine is also a half sister to Drinagh (by Arctic Star), dam of French stakes winner Emerald Isle (by Saint Crespin III), and to Arctic Blossom (by Arctic Time), dam of Irish stakes winner Legarde (by Home Guard).
The next dam in the tail-female lineage, Blaith na Greine (by Straight Deal), is a half sister to 1940 English champion 3-year-old filly Godiva (by Hyperion) and 1942 Irish Triple Crown winner Windsor Slipper (by Windsor Lad). Produced from the Phalaris mare Carpet Slipper (whose Blandford half sister Dalmary won the 1934 Yorkshire Oaks and produced the great foundation mare Rough Shod II), Blaith na Greine is also a half sister to Silken Slipper (by Bois Roussel), dam of 1957 Irish Oaks winner Silken Glider (by Airborne) and second dam of 1970 Irish St. Leger winner Allangrange, 1967 Prix Gladiateur and Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Alciglide, and 1968 Royal Whip winner Stitch. In addition, Blaith na Greine is a half sister to Her Slipper (by Tetratema), second dam of 1962 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) winner Val de Loir and 1966 Irish One Thousand Guineas and Oaks Stakes winner Valoris.
Fun facts
Last updated: February 19, 2024
Race record
11 starts, 6 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$1,631,032 (including converted foreign earnings from England, France and Ireland)
1991:
- Won Panasonic Smurfit EBF Futurity Stakes (IRE-G3, 8FT, The Curragh)
- Won EBF Anglesey Stakes (IRE-G3, about 6.25FT, The Curragh)
1992:
- Won Budweiser Irish Derby (IRE-G1, 12FT, The Curragh; new course record 2:25.6)
- Won King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (ENG-G1, 12FT, Ascot)
- Won Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes (IRE-G3, 10FT, Leopardstown)
- 2nd Ever Ready Derby Stakes (ENG-G1, 12FT, Epsom)
- 2nd Kerry Group Irish Champion Stakes (IRE-G1, 10FT, Leopardstown)
Honors
- Cartier Award, European Horse of the Year (1992)
- Cartier Award, European champion 3-year-old male (1992)
- Irish co-champion 2-year-old male (1991)
Assessments
Earned a Timeform rating of 135 pounds as a 3-year-old.
Highweighted among European-based horses of 1992 at 135 pounds on the International Classification, 6 pounds above the next-ranked horse.
Highweighted among 3-year-old males of 1992 in both France and Ireland over 9.5 to 11 furlongs.
As an individual
A rangy dark bay or brown horse, St. Jovite stood 16.1 hands. He had a very good shoulder and excellent if somewhat round action. He was perhaps somewhat tied in below the knee. He preferred to run close to the lead. Top Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien, who as a young man was an exercise rider for St. Jovite, recalled him as being “tough and hardy, but kind of slow,” suggesting that he lacked a strong turn of foot.
As a stallion
A disappointing sire, St. Jovite begot only 138 winners (30.1%) and eight stakes winners (1.7%) from 458 named foals of racing age according to records kept by The Jockey Club. Edward Bowen's Matriarchs II: More Great Mares of Modern Times (2008, Blood-Horse Publications) credits him with nine stakes winners.
Notable progeny
Amerique (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, St. Jovite was bred and owned by Virginia Kraft Payson. He was trained by Jim Bolger, transferring to the barn of Roger Attfield after his return to North America. He entered stud in 1993 in Kentucky at Payson Stud, moving to Greentree Stud, County Tipperary, Ireland in 2006. He was pensioned in 2014 and was transferred to Baysax Manor Stud near The Curragh, Ireland, where he was humanely destroyed due to the infirmities of old age on January 9, 2016.
Pedigree notes
St. Jovite's pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a full brother to multiple Grade 2 winner Lac Ouimet and a half brother to multiple Grade 2 winner Salem Drive (by Darby Creek Road) and to 1996 Saratoga Breeders' Cup Handicap (USA-G3) winner L'Carriere (by Carr de Naskra). St. Jovite is also a half brother to Dry North (by Temperence Hill), dam of restricted stakes winner Fly North (by Pleasant Colony) and second dam of 2002 American champion 3-year-old filly Farda Amiga. In addition, St. Jovite is a half brother to Charette (by Chief's Crown), dam of stakes winner Powder (by Broad Brush) and second dam of Grade 2 winner One Caroline.
St. Jovite and his siblings are out of 1992 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Northern Sunset, whose dam Moss Greine (by Ballymoss) is a half sister to English stakes winner Prince of Greine (by Arctic Prince) and 1961 Tetrarch Stakes winner Time Greine (by Arctic Time). Moss Greine is also a half sister to Drinagh (by Arctic Star), dam of French stakes winner Emerald Isle (by Saint Crespin III), and to Arctic Blossom (by Arctic Time), dam of Irish stakes winner Legarde (by Home Guard).
The next dam in the tail-female lineage, Blaith na Greine (by Straight Deal), is a half sister to 1940 English champion 3-year-old filly Godiva (by Hyperion) and 1942 Irish Triple Crown winner Windsor Slipper (by Windsor Lad). Produced from the Phalaris mare Carpet Slipper (whose Blandford half sister Dalmary won the 1934 Yorkshire Oaks and produced the great foundation mare Rough Shod II), Blaith na Greine is also a half sister to Silken Slipper (by Bois Roussel), dam of 1957 Irish Oaks winner Silken Glider (by Airborne) and second dam of 1970 Irish St. Leger winner Allangrange, 1967 Prix Gladiateur and Queen Alexandra Stakes winner Alciglide, and 1968 Royal Whip winner Stitch. In addition, Blaith na Greine is a half sister to Her Slipper (by Tetratema), second dam of 1962 Prix du Jockey-Club (French Derby) winner Val de Loir and 1966 Irish One Thousand Guineas and Oaks Stakes winner Valoris.
Fun facts
- St-Jovite is a village in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. It is known as a center for outdoor sports.
- St. Jovite's time of 2:25.6 for the 1992 Budweiser Irish Derby was a new course record for The Curragh and knocked three full seconds off the stakes record for the Irish Derby. It still stands as by far the fastest time in the history of the Irish Derby, which was first run in 1866; the second-fastest time of 2:27.10 was posted by Galileo in 2001.
- St. Jovite's winning margin of 12 lengths in the 1992 Irish Derby was the largest for any of the major European Classics during the 20th century.
Last updated: February 19, 2024