History is made at Churchill Downs where a woman is finally on top. Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a winning Kentucky Derby horse. On May 2, 2026, Golden Tempo, the thoroughbred she has been training the past year, won the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. In this thrilling race, Golden Tempo was a betting long shot in last place entering the final turn. However, jockey Jose Ortiz and Golden Tempo ran past the entire field and beat the betting favorite, Renegade, by a nose.
FCPS parent Nancy Snyder held a neighborhood Derby party at their residence. She commented that “this was one of the most exciting races I had seen in a long time.” Ms. Snyder also was surprised to later find out that DeVaux was the first woman to ever win the Kentucky Derby.
DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and has worked her way up through the sport. From starting out as a stable worker to getting to work as an assistant trainer and finally becoming an advanced trainer, DeVaux is proof that consistently advancing is always possible. As an advanced trainer, DeVaux now has recorded over 1800 starts showing how masterful she is as a trainer.
Looking back at this historic win, many fans are asking how they can continue to contribute to the rise of women in horse racing.
According to WPHS teacher Colin O’Grady, “The best way to honor that is to invest money so that more women are able to achieve what she achieved. All sports require money at the lower levels to build long-term success at the elite levels. If money is put specifically towards creating opportunities for women in the world of horse racing and building them up to be elite trainers, what is historic today will hopefully become commonplace in the future.”
Since the incredible win, DeVaux has found herself the object of intense media attention. She has appeared on the Today Show and CNN and thrown out the first pitch at a New York Yankees baseball game. Recently, DeVaux decided not to have Golden Tempo run the second race in the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, and will concentrate on having Golden Tempo run the third leg, the Belmont Stakes.
Meanwhile, DeVaux has continued to be humble and even commented that she did not find herself to be a trailblazer but merely a horse trainer who is female. However, that has not deterred her new fans to include WPHS teacher Ms. Erin Boutilier.
“I mean it’s pretty awesome and exciting,” Ms. Boutilier said. “My daughters both love horses and watching the Derby. Whenever there’s a breakthrough for women in sports in general, we get really excited about it and emphasize girl power.”
