It’s only fitting that Jim Devaux achieved a major career milestone at Monticello Raceway, where it all began for the 56-year-old in 1990.
He’s come a long way since his first year, where he had just three starts and earnings of only $496.
On Wednesday, June 28, Devaux earned his 7,000th win aboard 11-1 longshot Luvcrunchess, who led wire-to-wire in 1:58.3 for the 2-3/4-length victory in the $7,200 Open Trot. It was the 10th win of the year for the Candace Brandstatter-trained mare.
Devaux has been no stranger to the winner’s circle. His impressive body of work includes purse earnings totalling $35.8 million. He’s a three-time leading dash-winning driver at Monticello Raceway. Last season, he was the leading dash-winning driver at Saratoga Raceway and he is well on his way to securing another title at the Spa. Currently, Devaux is ranked 11th in North America for wins this season with 187 victories.
He splits his racing between Saratoga on the weekends and Monticello during the middle of the week. He hasn’t trained since 2016, relying solely on catch-driving. One of his most productive years was 2017, when he registered a career high of 544 wins while topping the $3 million mark in earnings for the first time. Last year, his mounts earned more than $3.1 million for a career year.
The horseman was born into a family with harness racing running through its veins. Born in Kingston, New York, he currently resides in Port Jervis. His father is in his late 70s and is still an active participant in the sport at Saratoga, as well as his brother, Ken, who races his stable at Monticello. Devaux cut his teeth training and driving at Monticello in the early '90s with a small stable, proving early on he had a talent and prowess for driving.
(With files from Monticello Raceway)