Louisville, KY — At Churchill Downs, the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby delivered the kind of outcome that halts a sport mid-stride: Unexpected, historic, and impossible to ignore.
Golden Tempo, dismissed at 23-1 odds, surged past the field going from last to first in the final stretch Saturday to capture the Run for the Roses in a final time of 2:02.27, etching his name into racing lore while delivering a landmark victory for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
With the win, DeVaux became the first woman in history to train a Kentucky Derby champion. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the colt unleashed a powerful late charge to overtake favored Renegade, guided by Irad Ortiz Jr., while long-shot Ocelli closed for third, completing a stunning trifecta that reverberated across the betting landscape.
The payouts reflected the magnitude of the upset. Golden Tempo returned $48.24 to win, $19.14 to place, and $11.90 to show on a $2 ticket. The $2 exacta paid $278.86, while the $0.50 trifecta ballooned to $5,625.39. The $1 superfecta 19-1-22-12 delivered a remarkable $94,489.95, underscoring the race’s unpredictability and rewarding those bold enough to chase long odds.
Yet, the significance of the moment extended far beyond the tote board.
For DeVaux, the victory represents both a personal triumph and a transformative milestone for the sport. Born December 2, 1981, in Saratoga Springs, New York, and raised in Florida, she was introduced to racing through her family’s involvement with Standardbred horses.
Her path to Churchill Downs was anything but conventional. Initially pursuing pre-med studies, DeVaux pivoted toward horse racing, a decision that ultimately reshaped her future– and now the sport’s history.
She honed her craft under respected trainers, such as Chad Brown and Chuck Simon, gaining experience at the highest levels before launching her own stable in 2018. Success followed quickly. DeVaux captured the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile with More Than Looks and guided She Feels Pretty to a 2025 American turf championship, building a résumé that signaled her emergence among racing’s elite.
Still, nothing compared to Saturday’s breakthrough.
In just her eighth year as a head trainer and in her Kentucky Derby debut, DeVaux did more than win. She altered the perception of who can succeed on horse racing’s grandest stage. Her victory makes her the second woman to win a race within the Triple Crown series and the first to do so in the Derby, surpassing a barrier that had endured for more than a century.
Golden Tempo, a son of Curlin, entered the Derby with modest expectations despite consistent performances in prep races such as the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star Stakes. Under the iconic Twin Spires, however, he delivered a defining performance — one that elevated both horse and trainer into the sport’s enduring narrative.
The race, contested by 18 horses following late scratches, awarded $3.1 million to the winner, with Renegade earning $1 million and Ocelli collecting $500,000.
Attention now turns to the 151st Preakness Stakes on May 16 at Laurel Park, as historic Pimlico Race Course undergoes a sweeping $400 million renovation. But the Triple Crown chase is already over. Just days after Golden Tempo’s stunning Kentucky Derby victory, DeVaux announced on Wednesday, May 6, that she and the ownership group believed skipping the Preakness was in the horse’s best interest.
Golden Tempo will instead target the Belmont Stakes on June 6, with DeVaux citing the colt’s long-term health following what she called “the race of a lifetime.” The decision marks the third time in five years that a Derby winner has bypassed the Preakness, reigniting debate over whether horse racing’s demanding Triple Crown schedule still fits the modern Thoroughbred. Yet even amid growing calls for change, DeVaux offered a reminder of the tradition at the center of the sport: “The Triple Crown is hard to win for a reason.”
