{"id":682,"date":"2026-05-09T21:01:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T21:01:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=682"},"modified":"2026-05-09T21:01:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T21:01:03","slug":"cherie-devaux-on-making-history-at-kentucky-derby-i-could-not-believe-that-he-had-won","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=682","title":{"rendered":"Cherie DeVaux on making history at Kentucky Derby: ‘I could not believe that he had won’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n article<\/span><\/div>

Cherie DeVaux trainer of Golden Tempo #19, the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, celebrates with the trophy in the winner’s circle following the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 02, 2026 in Louisville, Kentu<\/span> <\/p>

Read more Braves legend Bobby Cox passes away at age 84<\/a><\/p>

Expand<\/div><\/div><\/div> <\/div>

Cherie DeVaux is still struggling to believe it\u2014but her late-charging colt Golden Tempo delivered a stunning Kentucky Derby victory that turned a lifelong grind into racing\u2019s biggest moment.<\/p>

Golden Tempo was last in a field of 18 horses for much of the Kentucky Derby.\u00a0<\/p>

RELATED: <\/strong>Kentucky Derby 2026 winner: Golden Tempo races to historic win for trainer<\/strong><\/p>

<\/div>

By the time the race ended, Golden Tempo won by a neck, bucking the trend of closers not being able to come from behind at Churchill Downs recently and making DeVaux the first female trainer<\/u> with a Derby champion.<\/p>

What they’re saying:<\/p>

DeVaux described Golden Tempo\u2019s Kentucky Derby win as an emotional, almost surreal moment shaped by the horse\u2019s dramatic closing style.<\/p>

She explained to LiveNOW from FOX that “with Golden Tempo\u2019s running style, it kind of crescendos into that big excitement of his late run,” building anticipation as he charges from behind.<\/p>

Watching the finish unfold, she said, “when I saw him get ahead, I just\u2026 could not believe that he had won,” adding that the entire experience left her in disbelief after a week of joking “if I win, if we win, it\u2019s going to be a one and done.”<\/p>

Read more Disappointed cruise passengers erupt as alcohol ban affects major voyages<\/a><\/p>

She emphasized that while the historic nature of her win has drawn attention, it wasn\u2019t something she set out to achieve. “I\u2019ve always said I\u2019m a horse trainer that happens to be female,” she said, noting that the recognition has been “overwhelming.”<\/p>

Still, she sees the impact it may have on others as meaningful: “it\u2019s an honor\u2026 to be a person that other women or young women look up to,” even as she admitted it has taken “over a week\u2026 just to believe that we won.”<\/p>

Breaking down the race itself, Devaux recalled watching Golden Tempo begin his move: “I saw him starting to pick horses off at the top of the stretch. That\u2019s usually when he makes his run.”<\/p>

What’s next:<\/p>

DeVaux and owners decided to skip the Preakness and set their sights on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York.<\/p>

Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years not to be entered in the Preakness.<\/p>

Read more Texas lead the nation in FCC complaints about Bad Bunny, Super Bowl<\/a><\/p> <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cherie DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner when her colt Golden Tempo surged from last place.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-682","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kentucky","category-pets-and-animals"],"yoast_head":"\nCherie DeVaux on making history at Kentucky Derby: 'I could not believe that he had won' - Houston Moving Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=682\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cherie DeVaux on making history at Kentucky Derby: 'I could not believe that he had won' - 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