How Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux made history with Kentucky Derby win

Cherie DeVaux

How Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux made history with Kentucky Derby win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Winning the Kentucky Derby can be a life-changing moment for trainers, owners and jockeys, and that moment arrived for Golden Tempo's team on Saturday.

After spending most of the race behind the front of the pack, Golden Tempo went from an afterthought with 23-1 odds to a derby winner after surging to the front and pulling ahead in the final seconds.

The win was the first at the Kentucky Derby for jockey Jose Ortiz, but it was a history-making moment for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

Here's what you need to know about DeVaux after Golden Tempo's surprise win at Churchill Downs.

MORE:Full results from 2026 Kentucky Derby

Who is Cherie DeVaux?

DeVaux saw herself rocket to prominence at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday after Golden Tempo came from behind to win the race.

DeVaux is a native of Saratoga Springs, New York, and started her own sable in Kentucky in 2018 after serving as an assistant trainer under Chuck Simon and Chad Brown. Her stable brought in $10.2 million in 2024 as she started to earn victories in Grade 1 races, and six different horses won graded races under her in 2025.

DeVaux's horses had $2.1 million in earnings in 2026 entering Saturday and $32.9 million in lifetime earnings, according to America's Best Racing.

While growing up in upstate New York, DeVaux spent plenty of time around horse racing and stuck with the industry despite originally pursuing a pre-med track in college. It's a family affair to this day for DeVaux, as her husband, David Ingordo, is also a horse trainer.

MORE:How much did Golden Tempo win at Kentucky Derby?

How old is Cherie DeVaux?

DeVaux is 44 years old. While some trainers in the 2026 Kentucky Derby had spent decades running their own stable, DeVaux only started her own stable in 2018.

Have any female trainers won the Kentucky Derby?

DeVaux is the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby as a trainer.

The 2026 Kentucky Derby featured a handful of prominent trainers with remarkable track records, from Bob Baffert and Brad Cox to Todd Pletcher and Bill Mott, making DeVaux's win even more impressive. Also in the field was DeVaux's former boss, Chad Brown, who trains Emerging Market.

Have any female trainers won a Triple Crown race?

DeVaux is not the first woman to train a Triple Crown race winner, as that honor belongs to Jena Antonucci for Arcangelo's win at the Belmont Stakes in 2023.

Arcangelo beat out a field that included Preakness winner National Treasure in the final Triple Crown race of the year in 2023, making Antonucci a history-maker. She helped pave the way for DeVaux three years later, and DeVaux is certainly hoping she paves the way for more women to have opportunities to win the Kentucky Derby in the years to come.