Kentucky Derby winner Cherie DeVaux bet on herself and won big

For more than a decade, Cherie DeVaux helped train other people’s horses, dreaming of one day taking the reins herself.

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This dream came true, and more.

DeVaux became the first woman to train the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby when Golden Tempo won the 152nd Run for the Roses Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Before starting his stable, DeVaux worked his way up, starting as a stable hand for the late Chuck Simon before becoming an assistant trainer for Chad Brown. In 2018, she finally obtained her trainer’s license and struck out on her own.

“It was a conversation with my now husband,” DeVaux, 44, told WLEX-TV of her decision to go solo. “I was burned out as an assistant coach. I wanted to do something more for myself, have a little more of a personal life.”

DeVaux’s original plan was to see how her training went for three years, but she wouldn’t win her first race until 11 months later. Although the onset of the pandemic halted his momentum shortly after, DeVaux continued, eventually winning the Breeder’s Cup in 2024.

DeVaux’s first time at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday was a charm, as Golden Tempo made a late surge to defeat one of the Renegade favorites. Golden Tempo, like his trainer, had to make his own arduous climb, galloping from last place to victory.

DeVaux’s dream came true in large part thanks to jockey Jose Ortiz, who beat his own brother – who was riding high in Renegade – to victory.

“I have no words right now,” DeVaux said on the show after the win. “I’m so, so, so happy for Golden Tempo. Jose did a wonderful job, a masterful job of getting him there. He was so far away from there, and he had so much confidence in this horse.”

The closest woman to training a Derby-winning horse before DeVaux was Shelley Riley in 1992, who trained Casual Lies to a runner-up finish. The only other woman to win a Triple Crown race is Jena Antonucci, who won the 2023 Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo.

Before Saturday’s race, DeVaux didn’t shy away from her chance to make history, saying “the only thing I want to do in my career is be the first woman to win a Kentucky Derby.”

She added: “Being a woman in this industry, the standards aren’t always equal. … In my mind, there’s always the idea of ​​being a strong role model for those who aren’t like me.”

After winning, DeVaux did not downplay the enormity of his achievement.

“I’m happy to be able to be representative of women all over the world,” DeVaux said in a post-race interview that aired on the show. “We can do whatever we want.”

With the Kentucky Derby in hand, could DeVaux now try to be the first woman to win the Triple Crown? She has not committed to running Golden Tempo at the Preakness on May 16, saying she would see how the horse reacts before making a decision.

Ultimately, the Kentucky Derby was about DeVaux cementing his own legacy in the sport.

“Being a woman or my gender never really crossed my mind,” DeVaux said at her victory press conference. “What really stood out to me is that not everyone has the same mental makeup as me. It’s really an honor to be that person that other women or other little girls can look up to.

“You can dream big and pivot, you can come from one place and be part of history. »