Cherie DeVaux Wins Kentucky Derby in First Try as Trainer

When Golden Tempo crossed the finish line at Churchill Downs on May 2, trainer Cherie DeVaux's world exploded in the best possible way.

The 44-year-old pounded the wall, screamed "Oh my God!" and nearly collapsed as her horse charged from dead last to win the Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds. In two minutes and two seconds, she became the first woman ever to train a Kentucky Derby winner in the race's 152-year history, accomplishing it in her very first attempt.

Six days later, DeVaux found herself on the Today Show, throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, and trying to process that Al Roker asked for a picture with her. "I don't really think I'm that big of a deal, so it's been very surreal," she says from her desk at Keeneland Race Course's Barn 62, where Golden Tempo now plays with a red rubber ball in Stall 29.

The Derby finish delivered drama worthy of a Hollywood script. Four different horses looked like winners in the final 220 yards, with jockey José Ortiz edging out his older brother Irad by a neck length in an incredible family showdown.

But what turned DeVaux from racetrack famous to mainstream famous wasn't just the historic win. It was her completely unrestrained reaction, a raw display of emotion that felt refreshingly real in a sport often associated with buttoned-up tradition.

"It's very rare that a plan works out without any hiccups," DeVaux explains. "The objective was to win the Kentucky Derby and it effing worked out amazingly."

Why This Inspires

DeVaux's journey to this moment spans decades of tough work in a demanding industry. She grew up in a harness racing family, detoured through pre-med college studies, then pivoted back to the track to launch her own stable eight years ago.

Today she oversees 120 horses, working brutal hours in what she calls "not glamorous" conditions where success rates mirror batting averages. The racetrack is a hard place, especially for someone who refuses to "quiet myself to fit in somebody's box so that they like me."

Her sister Adrianne, also a thoroughbred trainer, puts it bluntly: "She's not afraid to call anyone out. She does things the right way."

That authenticity shines through everything DeVaux does, from the way she runs her barn with Type A precision to how she celebrated the biggest moment of her career. She keeps a hat in her barn that reads "I'm not for everyone," a badge she wears proudly.

The win proved that staying true to yourself, working relentlessly, and believing in your vision can break through even the highest barriers in sports.