For 151 editions of the Kentucky Derby, no woman had ever trained the winning horse. On May 2, 2026, that changed when Cherie DeVaux sent Golden Tempo to the front of the pack at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, United States.
A 20-1 shot that delivered
Golden Tempo entered the race as a longshot at 20-1 odds. Few expected the colt to challenge the favorites. But under jockey Jose Ortiz, Golden Tempo crossed the finish line first, giving Ortiz his first Derby win as well. DeVaux, 42, became the first female trainer in the 152-year history of the race to claim the garland of roses.
From assistant to history maker
DeVaux grew up around horses in France and moved to the United States to work in racing. She spent years as an assistant to top trainers before going out on her own. Her barn is based in Lexington, Kentucky, the heart of American thoroughbred breeding. For local racing fans, her win was a milestone in a sport where women have long worked behind the scenes but rarely received top billing on Derby day.
What the win means in Louisville
The Kentucky Derby is the most watched horse race in the United States, drawing more than 150,000 people to Churchill Downs each year. For the people of Louisville, the race is a cultural anchor. DeVaux's victory resonated beyond the track because it broke a barrier that had stood since the first Derby in 1875. Golden Tempo paid $42.60 for a $2 bet to win, a payoff that reflected the horse's outsider status.
DeVaux now joins a short list of trainers who have won the Derby on their first attempt. She also becomes the second woman to saddle a Derby winner in any major role, following jockey Diane Crump who rode in the 1970 race. The win places a new face at the center of a tradition that prizes both speed and endurance, and it happened with a horse few saw coming.
