Golden Tempo’s Last-to-First Derby Win Makes Cherie DeVaux First Female Trainer to Capture the Roses

Key facts

• Golden Tempo won the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs.
• Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.
• Jose Ortiz won the Derby in his 11th try, edging out his brother Irad Ortiz Jr. on Renegade.
• Golden Tempo was a 23-1 longshot who came from last place to pass every horse.
• Renegade finished second; Ocelli, a 70-1 longshot, placed third.
• The Puma was scratched with a swollen leg; Great White fell before the race.
• Post time was 7:02 p.m. ET; the race was broadcast on NBC and USA Network.

A Last-to-First Triumph That Rewrote History

Golden Tempo stormed from dead last to win the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, carrying trainer Cherie DeVaux into the record books as the first woman to train a Derby winner. The 23-1 longshot passed favorite Renegade near the finish line at Churchill Downs, completing the two-minute race with a dramatic burst of speed that left the crowd of 150,000 roaring. DeVaux, 44, became only the second female trainer to win any Triple Crown race, following Jena Antonucci’s victory in the 2023 Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo. “I consider myself a horse trainer, and I just happen to be a female,” DeVaux said in an exclusive interview on TODAY on May 4. “It’s quite an honor to be the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.” The victory was also a milestone for jockey Jose Ortiz, who won the Derby in his 11th attempt. He guided Golden Tempo from the back of the pack, timing his move perfectly to overtake the field. “The credit for winning the race definitely goes to Jose because he had to time that perfectly,” DeVaux said. “And he had all of the faith in the horse that he had it.”

How Golden Tempo’s ‘Deep Closer’ Style Paid Off

Golden Tempo’s running style, which DeVaux calls that of a “deep closer,” was key to the upset. “He just doesn’t have a lot of speed, but he has a lot of stamina, and towards the end of the race, he does have, we call it a quick turn of foot, so he can make up a lot of ground,” she explained. “But just in the early stages, he likes to just hang out behind and let them all do the hard work, and then he can just finish up and beat them all.” The strategy unfolded exactly as planned. While Six Speed set a fast pace from the No. 17 post — a position that had never produced a Derby winner — Golden Tempo lagged at the rear. As the field turned for home, Ortiz asked his mount for acceleration, and Golden Tempo responded by passing every horse one by one, finally catching Renegade in the final strides. Renegade, ridden by Ortiz’s brother Irad Ortiz Jr., had been a co-favorite alongside Further Ado. Ocelli, a 70-1 longshot, held on for third. The betting favorites fluctuated minutes before the race as late money poured into sportsbooks, but neither Renegade nor Further Ado could match Golden Tempo’s closing kick.

A Week of Scratches and Late Replacements

The 2026 Derby was run with 18 horses after a series of late scratches. The Puma was withdrawn with a swollen leg, becoming the fifth horse scratched that week, following Silent Tactic, Fulleffort, and Right to Party. Those horses were replaced by Ocelli, Robusta, and Great White. Great White also scratched after falling on its side before being placed in the starting gate. The attrition left a field of 18, still the maximum allowed, but the changes reshuffled the odds board. Golden Tempo, who had been a moderate longshot, drifted to 23-1 as bettors focused on the favorites. The race’s post time was 7:02 p.m. ET, with coverage on NBC and USA Network, and streaming on Peacock.

DeVaux’s Emotional Reaction and Family Celebration

The DeVaux family was shown celebrating on the broadcast as Golden Tempo crossed the wire. “It’s gotten a bit tapered down as I’ve gotten older,” DeVaux said of her exuberant reaction. “That is not tapered down, that is definitely all systems go. If you win the Kentucky Derby, man — male, female, whatever, you should have a reaction.” DeVaux, who has trained horses for more than a decade, had never won a Triple Crown race before. Her victory was hailed as a breakthrough for women in a sport where female trainers remain a minority. She is the second woman to win a Triple Crown race, but the first to do so in the Kentucky Derby, the most famous race in American horse racing.

What’s Next: The Preakness Stakes and Triple Crown Hopes

Fresh off the historic victory, attention now turns to whether Golden Tempo will run in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on May 16 at Laurel Park in Maryland. The race will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock. DeVaux has not yet confirmed the colt’s participation, but the performance suggests he has the stamina to handle the shorter distance of the Preakness. If Golden Tempo wins at Pimlico, he would set up a potential Triple Crown bid at the Belmont Stakes in June. No horse has won the Triple Crown since Justify in 2018. For now, DeVaux and her team are savoring a moment that rewrote the sport’s history books.

The bottom line

• Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, and only the second woman to win any Triple Crown race.
• Golden Tempo’s deep-closing style allowed him to come from last to first, passing every horse in the field.
• Jose Ortiz won his first Derby in 11 tries, edging his brother Irad Ortiz Jr. on Renegade.
• The race was marred by five scratches, including The Puma and Great White, reducing the field to 18.
• Golden Tempo’s next possible start is the Preakness Stakes on May 16, which could set up a Triple Crown attempt.