On May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, history was made in the most dramatic fashion possible. A 23-1 longshot named Golden Tempo charged from dead last to first place in the final stretch, crossing the wire by a nose — and in the process, his trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman in the 152-year history of the Kentucky Derby to saddle the winner of the Run for the Roses.
Standing trackside in a bright red blazer, tears streaming down her face, DeVaux held her young nephew Maverick close as the crowd of 150,415 erupted around her. The moment was nearly a century in the making — and for one 44-year-old trainer from Saratoga Springs, New York, it was the culmination of an entire lifetime of sacrifice, faith, and relentless determination.
This is the full biography of Cherie DeVaux: how a girl who grew up dreaming of horses gave up a career in medicine, worked her way from the bottom of the industry, and ultimately rewrote the record books forever.
Early Life: Born Into Horse Racing’s Heartbeat
Cherie DeVaux was born and raised in Saratoga Springs, New York — one of the most celebrated horse racing communities in the entire United States. Every summer, Saratoga Springs transforms into the center of the thoroughbred racing world, and for a young girl growing up there, horses were not just a sport but a way of life.
She grew up in a horse racing family and later graduated from Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida, where she listed her hometown on Facebook. The DeVaux household was large and competitive. DeVaux credits growing up with seven brothers and two sisters for the toughness and mental constitution that would later define her career.
Even as a child surrounded by horses, DeVaux initially set her sights in a very different direction. After high school, she enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2000 to 2002, with ambitions of becoming a physician. She later transferred to the University of Albany in New York, continuing her studies toward a medical career. But the pull of the racetrack was always there — quiet, persistent, and impossible to ignore.
The Crossroads: Leaving Medicine for the Racetrack
The decision to abandon a promising academic career and return to horses was not an easy one. For many families, a young woman choosing a low-paying job walking horses over a future in medicine might have seemed like a step backward. But for the DeVaux family, it was destiny.
DeVaux was studying at SUNY Albany before she decided to leave college and return to the racetrack. She started at the very bottom — as an exercise rider at Churchill Downs, the same track where, over two decades later, she would make history.
“I started my career here 22 years ago as a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed exercise rider,” DeVaux said at her victory press conference. “And I would not believe that I would be sitting up here today.”
From those early days as an exercise rider, DeVaux began absorbing every lesson the sport had to offer. She worked under respected trainers, learning the craft from the inside out — the language of horses, the art of reading their bodies and moods, the science of conditioning and timing.
She worked as an assistant trainer for the late Chuck Simon and Chad Brown before going out on her own in 2018. Both Chuck Simon and Chad Brown are highly regarded figures in thoroughbred racing, and the experience of working under their guidance gave DeVaux a foundation that few trainers can claim.
Going Solo: Building Her Own Stable (2018)
In 2018, after years of learning from the best in the business, Cherie DeVaux made the bold decision to strike out on her own. Starting a training stable from scratch is a daunting proposition — requiring owners willing to trust you with their horses, a staff, facilities, and an enormous amount of patience while waiting for results.
Speaking to NBC after the Kentucky Derby, DeVaux said she was at a “crossroads in life” during the summer of 2017, when her husband, bloodstock agent David Ingordo, encouraged her to keep pursuing her dream. That push from David was the catalyst. Within a year, she had her license and was building her stable horse by horse.
The early results validated the decision quickly. She earned her first win in 2019 on just her 29th start. That kind of efficiency in the early stages of a solo career signals real talent — and the industry took notice.
By 2021, DeVaux had her first graded stakes victory. She earned her first graded stakes win with Gam’s Mission in the 2021 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs and won her first Grade I race in 2023. Winning at Grade I level — the highest classification in thoroughbred racing — placed her firmly among the elite trainers in the country.
Since then, she has racked up more than 300 victories, including 21 wins in 2026 before the Derby. With over 1,800 career starts, DeVaux had built a legitimate, respected operation — quietly, steadily, without fanfare, without shortcuts.
Golden Tempo: The Horse That Changed Everything
Golden Tempo is a bay-colored colt bred by Phipps Stable, one of the most storied operations in American thoroughbred racing. He is the son of two-time horse of the year Curlin, and had run well in the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star Stakes but was not considered a serious contender heading into the Run for the Roses.
DeVaux trained the colt for Phipps Stable, owned by Daisy Phipps Pulito, and St. Elias Stable, owned by Vincent Viola. Despite the pedigree of his owners — Phipps Stable has a long and celebrated history at the Kentucky Derby — Golden Tempo entered the 2026 race as a decided longshot.
In 18 previous Derby starts by female trainers, Shelley Riley had come closest when Casual Lies was runner-up in 1992. DeVaux was well aware of that history. She was attempting something no woman had achieved in 152 runnings of the most famous horse race in the world.
May 2, 2026: The Race That Made History
The 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs drew 18 horses — two had been scratched earlier in the week — and a crowd of 150,415 fans. The public’s attention was largely on the co-favorites: Arkansas Derby winner Renegade at 5-1 odds, Florida Derby winner Commandment, and Santa Anita Derby winner So Happy. Golden Tempo, at 23-1, was an afterthought to most bettors.
The horse broke out of the gate as an underdog. In fact, the race began badly for Golden Tempo — jockey Jose Ortiz found the colt trailing the entire 18-horse field as the pack rounded the first turns.
What happened next was, in the words of those who watched it, nearly impossible to believe. The horse picked up the win behind an impressive mad dash from 18th to 1st, with jockey Jose Ortiz guiding Golden Tempo through a furious charge down the backstretch to cross the wire.
The final stretch turned into something of a family drama within the drama. Down the stretch, Jose Ortiz outdueled his brother Irad Ortiz Jr., who was riding Renegade. Jose’s mount won. Irad’s finished second. The brothers finished first and second in the Kentucky Derby — a remarkable subplot to an already extraordinary day.
Golden Tempo broke slowly under jockey Jose Ortiz and trailed the 18-horse field before threading through traffic and unleashing a late charge from the outside to claim the Run for the Roses by a neck. Renegade, the 5-1 co-favourite ridden by Ortiz’s brother Irad Ortiz Jr., finished second while 70-1 longshot Ocelli was third in front of a crowd of 150,415.
The final yards turned into a brotherly rivalry. Irad Ortiz Jr. was galvanizing Renegade to make a move in deep stretch, only to be overhauled by his brother Jose aboard Golden Tempo. Golden Tempo negotiated 1¼ miles in 2:02.27 and paid $48.24.
When Golden Tempo crossed the finish line, Cherie DeVaux became the first woman in the history of the Kentucky Derby to train the winner.
The Reaction: Tears, History, and a Message for Women Everywhere
Trackside, the moment DeVaux had worked toward for over two decades arrived in a rush of disbelief and joy. DeVaux, 44, watched the race trackside wearing a bright red blazer and with tears in her eyes. She sounded breathless when interviewed by NBC.
“I don’t have any words right now,” DeVaux said after the victory. “I’m just so, so happy for Golden Tempo. Jose did a wonderful job, a masterful job at getting him there. He was so far out of it, and he has had so much faith in this horse.”
In the post-race broadcast interview, she held her young nephew Maverick in her arms as she delivered words that resonated far beyond the racetrack.
“I’m glad that I could be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything we set our minds to,” DeVaux said.
At her victory press conference, DeVaux reflected on the broader significance of the moment with characteristic humility and depth.
“Being a woman or my gender has never really crossed my mind in this,” DeVaux said. “The thing that really has become apparent to me is not everyone has the same constitution I have mentally. It really is an honor to be that person for other women or other little girls to look up to. You can dream big and you can pivot, you can come from one place and make yourself a part of history.”
After the race, DeVaux celebrated with her husband, sister, daughter and nephew by her side, shedding plenty of tears of joy.
When a reporter asked about the burden of the “first female trainer to win the Derby” question that had followed her through Derby week, DeVaux’s response was perfectly candid: “I’m just glad I don’t have to answer that question anymore.”
Personal Life: The Woman Behind the Trainer
Cherie DeVaux is 44 years old and based in Kentucky. She is married to David Ingordo, a respected bloodstock agent whose encouragement was pivotal in her decision to launch her own stable in 2018. The couple have a daughter, and DeVaux has described her family as her strongest source of support throughout the demanding life of a thoroughbred trainer.
Her siblings — seven brothers and two sisters — gave her a competitive upbringing that she credits directly for the mental resilience that defines her training career. In a sport where setbacks are constant and patience is everything, that toughness has been her greatest asset.
Outside the barn, DeVaux is known within the racing community for her calm demeanor, her communication with owners, and her genuine relationships with the horses in her care. Colleagues describe her as meticulous, analytical, and deeply passionate — a trainer who combines the instincts of someone raised in the sport with the strategic thinking of someone who has studied it from the ground up.
Career Stats and Milestones
- Age: 44
- Hometown: Saratoga Springs, New York (raised in Englewood, Florida)
- Stable founded: 2018
- First win: 2019 (29th career start)
- Career starts: 1,800+
- Career wins: 300+
- First graded stakes win: 2021 Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs (Gam’s Mission)
- First Grade I win: 2023
- Kentucky Derby win: May 2, 2026 (Golden Tempo, 152nd Kentucky Derby)
- Historic achievement: First female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby
- Second female trainer to win a Triple Crown race (after Jena Antonucci, 2023 Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo)
What’s Next: The Triple Crown Chase?
After the Derby victory, all eyes turned to whether DeVaux would attempt to make history on an even grander scale. The Preakness Stakes — the second leg of the Triple Crown — was scheduled for May 16 in Baltimore, just two weeks away.
DeVaux would not commit Golden Tempo to race in the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, saying she would see how the horse responded before making a decision.
It is a characteristically careful, horse-first response — a reminder that for DeVaux, the welfare and readiness of Golden Tempo matters more than the chase for headlines. Whether or not Golden Tempo runs at Pimlico, Cherie DeVaux has already secured her place in the pantheon of horse racing’s greatest achievers.
Legacy: Why Cherie DeVaux’s Win Matters
Women have been competing at the highest levels of thoroughbred racing for decades — as owners, jockeys, exercise riders, stable hands, and trainers. But the Kentucky Derby, with its 152-year history, had remained an unbroken record for male trainers. Every year that a female trainer entered a horse and fell short added another layer to a barrier that seemed stubborn and immovable.
In 18 previous Derby starts by female trainers, Shelley Riley had come closest when Casual Lies was runner-up in 1992. Now DeVaux, with her very first Derby runner, rewrote the record book.
That detail is astonishing. Not only did a woman finally win — she did it on her very first try.
Cherie DeVaux’s victory matters not just as a statistic or a barrier broken. It matters because of what she said afterward: that she never let her gender be the lens through which she saw herself. She simply worked, learned, believed, and one Saturday afternoon in Louisville, proved that the dreams she’d carried since childhood were always worth chasing.
As she said from the winner’s circle: “You can dream big and you can pivot, you can come from one place and make yourself a part of history.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who is Cherie DeVaux?
Cherie DeVaux is a 44-year-old American thoroughbred horse trainer based in Kentucky. On May 2, 2026, she became the first woman in the 152-year history of the Kentucky Derby to train the winning horse, when Golden Tempo won the 152nd running of the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.
How did Cherie DeVaux get into horse racing?
DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and grew up in a horse racing family. She initially pursued a career in medicine, studying at Florida Gulf Coast University and SUNY Albany, before leaving college to return to the racetrack. She started as an exercise rider and later worked as an assistant trainer under Chuck Simon and Chad Brown before getting her own trainer’s license in 2018.
What horse did Cherie DeVaux train to win the Kentucky Derby?
DeVaux trained Golden Tempo, a 23-1 longshot bay colt by Hall of Fame sire Curlin. Golden Tempo was ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz and made a stunning charge from last place to first in the final stretch to win the 2026 Kentucky Derby by a nose.
Is Cherie DeVaux the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby as a trainer?
Yes. Cherie DeVaux is the first female trainer in the 152-year history of the Kentucky Derby to saddle the winner. She is also only the second woman to train the winner of any Triple Crown race, following Jena Antonucci who trained Arcangelo to win the 2023 Belmont Stakes.
How old is Cherie DeVaux?
Cherie DeVaux is 44 years old as of her historic Kentucky Derby win in May 2026.
Who was the previous closest female trainer to winning the Kentucky Derby?
Shelley Riley came the closest before DeVaux, finishing second with Casual Lies in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. In 18 previous Derby starts by female trainers, none had won — until DeVaux won on her very first Derby entry.
Did Golden Tempo run in the Preakness Stakes?
After the Kentucky Derby, DeVaux declined to confirm whether Golden Tempo would run in the Preakness Stakes on May 16, 2026, saying she would assess how the horse recovered before making a decision.
Who is Cherie DeVaux’s husband?
Cherie DeVaux is married to David Ingordo, a bloodstock agent who encouraged her to pursue her dream of running her own stable in 2017–2018. DeVaux has credited his support as a turning point in her career.
Where is Cherie DeVaux from?
DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and raised in Englewood, Florida, where she attended Lemon Bay High School. She is currently based in Kentucky, where she operates her thoroughbred training stable.
What did Cherie DeVaux say after winning the Kentucky Derby?
In her post-race interview, DeVaux said: “I’m just glad I could be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything we set our minds to.” At her victory press conference, she added: “You can dream big and you can pivot, you can come from one place and make yourself a part of history.”