Cherie DeVaux becomes the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby

On 2 May 2026, in front of more than 150,000 spectators at Churchill Downs, Cherie DeVaux made history as the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. Her horse, Golden Tempo, a 24-1 outsider ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, sat near the back of the 18-strong field before threading through traffic and surging late on the outside to win by a neck. In a race with 152 years of history, only 18 women had ever even saddled a runner.

DeVaux, 44, grew up in Saratoga Springs, New York, in a large family with seven brothers and two sisters, an upbringing she credits for the resilience that carried her through a demanding career. After years as an assistant trainer and a period of reconsidering her future, she took out her own licence in 2018, won her first race in 2019, and has since accumulated more than 300 victories.

“Her horse, Golden Tempo, a 24-1 outsider ridden by jockey Jose Ortiz, sat near the back of the 18-strong field before threading through traffic and surging late on the outside to win by a neck.”

For Ortiz, too, the result was a milestone, marking his first Kentucky Derby win. But it was the significance of DeVaux achievement that drew the warmest response. Reflecting afterwards, she framed the breakthrough not in terms of herself but of those who might follow. It really is an honour to be able to be that person for other women or other little girls to look up to, she said.

Her victory joins a slowly growing list of barriers being broken in thoroughbred racing, where women trainers have long been underrepresented at the highest level. By guiding a long shot to the sport most famous prize, DeVaux not only won the race of her life but also widened the sense of what is possible for the next generation of horsewomen, proving that persistence and quiet competence can rewrite even the oldest record books.