Golden Tempo Wins Kentucky Derby, Trainer Cherie DeVaux Makes History

Reflecto News | Sports | Horse Racing

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Golden Tempo, a 23-1 long shot, stormed from last place to win the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs, making trainer Cherie DeVaux the first woman in history to saddle the Derby winner .

In a thrilling last-to-first finish, the son of Hall of Fame sire Curlin charged down the stretch to beat race favorite Renegade by a neck, completing the mile and a quarter in 2:02.27 . The victory was worth $3.1 million from the race’s $5 million purse .

A Last-to-First Masterpiece

Jockey Jose Ortiz, who had never won the Derby in eight previous attempts, executed a textbook closing strategy. Golden Tempo ran dead last for much of the race—so far back he could not even be seen in the television frame as the horses rounded the first turn . A blistering early pace set by 38-1 long shot Six Speed (22.68 seconds for the first quarter-mile) set the stage for closers .

“That’s how he runs,” DeVaux said after the race. “It’s not like we really did anything different than he had done in his previous starts” .

Ortiz began his move on the far turn, navigating through horses one by one. At the top of the stretch, Golden Tempo was still 13th—with 12 more horses to pass. The jockey chose the outside lane rather than risk the inside traffic .

“I don’t want to mess with the inside with an (18)-horse field,” Ortiz said. “I’ve done it in the past. Not good” .

The final surge was dramatic. Golden Tempo overtook Renegade—ridden by Ortiz’s older brother, Irad Ortiz Jr.—in the shadow of the wire, sweeping past 70-1 long shot Ocelli and the rest of the field . The winning margin was a neck.

“About the 3/16 pole, I thought we’re probably going to win this,” DeVaux admitted. “And then I really kind of blacked out after that” .

A Historic Victory for Women in Racing

DeVaux, 44, a native of Saratoga Springs, New York, started her own stable in 2018 after abandoning a pre-med track to pursue horse training full-time . Before Saturday, she had collected nearly 300 victories, including the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Mile with More Than Looks .

“I don’t even have any words right now,” DeVaux said amid the celebration. “Just so, so, so happy for Golden Tempo. Jose did a wonderful job, a masterful job of getting him there. He was so far out of it” .

She is the 19th female trainer to start a horse in the Derby and the first to win it . She joins Jena Antonucci (Belmont Stakes, 2023) as the only women to win a Triple Crown race .

During the week leading up to the Derby, DeVaux shifted from downplaying the historical implications to embracing her role as a trailblazer. “She’s a role model to girls who might want to follow in her footsteps someday,” CBS Sports reported .

Ortiz Finally Captures the Roses

For Jose Ortiz, 32, the victory marked his first Kentucky Derby win in his ninth attempt . He had previously won the Belmont Stakes (2017) and Preakness (2022), making him the ninth jockey to complete the career Triple Crown of Derby, Preakness, and Belmont victories .

Earlier in the day, Ortiz had won the Kentucky Oaks aboard My Mom said, becoming the ninth jockey to sweep both marquee races in the same year—a feat last accomplished by Brian Hernandez Jr. in 2024 .

Golden Tempo’s Pedigree and the Triple Crown Question

Golden Tempo, a Kentucky-bred colt campaigned and bred by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, had never won beyond a mile-and-a-sixteenth distance before Saturday. His previous best was a victory in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds in January, followed by third‑place finishes in the Grade 2 Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby .

His sire, Curlin, is a Hall of Fame thoroughbred who won the Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2007 and was a two-time American Horse of the Year. His dam is Carrumba, a Bernardini mare who won the Grade 3 Top Flight Invitational Handicap in 2016 .

The victory sets up Golden Tempo for a run at the Triple Crown. The next leg is the Preakness Stakes, scheduled for May 16, but this year the race will be held at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland, rather than its traditional home at Pimlico Race Course due to ongoing renovations . The Belmont Stakes will conclude the series on June 6 .

Follow Reflecto News for continuous updates on the Preakness Stakes and Golden Tempo’s Triple Crown bid.

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