The Kentucky Derby, a race synonymous with mint juleps, big hats, and even bigger upsets, just crowned its first-ever female winning trainer. Cherie DeVaux, a name you might not have known until Saturday, watched her horse, Golden Tempo, gallop into the history books with 24-1 odds — which, if we're being honest, are the kind of odds you usually only see in a bad rom-com.
Golden Tempo, ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz (who also snagged his first Derby win), decided to make things interesting right from the start. The horse broke slowly, trailing all 18 competitors. Because apparently, winning from behind is the new winning. Then, like a protagonist in a sports movie, Golden Tempo weaved through the pack, charged from the outside, and snatched victory by a neck on a cool Louisville afternoon. Imagine the collective gasp of 150,415 people.
Renegade, a co-favorite, settled for second, while Ocelli, a 70-1 longshot, rounded out the top three. DeVaux, understandably, dissolved into tears of joy. Because sometimes, the script just writes itself.
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Start Your News DetoxThe Woman Behind the Win
Cherie DeVaux, 44, from Saratoga Springs, New York, grew up steeped in horse racing. It was practically a family business. But after years as an assistant trainer, she decided in 2018 to go solo. A move she made to avoid burnout, which, in hindsight, was a pretty good career pivot. She got her first win in 2019, on only her 29th start, and has since racked up over 300 victories. Including, you know, the Kentucky Derby.
Her win isn't just a personal triumph; it's a historical marker. DeVaux is only the second woman to train a Triple Crown race winner (Jena Antonucci was the first), and just the 18th woman to saddle a horse in the Derby's 152-year run. The gravity of it all hit her before the race when she saw a young girl and realized the impact she was about to make.
DeVaux, who credits her husband for pushing her to pursue her dream and her seven brothers and two sisters for making her tough, hopes her victory inspires women and girls to dream big and change their paths. She won the Derby on her first try, eight years after starting her own stable. Not bad for someone who started 22 years ago as an exercise rider and never thought she'd achieve this. Sometimes, history just has a way of finding you.
