Golden Tempo's 2026 Kentucky Derby win highlights trainer's SW Florida connection
Golden Tempo wins 2026 Kentucky Derby as trainer Cherie DeVaux, an FGCU alum from Englewood, makes history as the first woman to win the race.
Cherie DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner on May 2, when Golden Tempo authored a thrilling come-from-behind victory in the 152nd Run for the Roses. DeVaux, 44, watched the race trackside wearing a bright red blazer and with tears in her eyes. She sounded breathless when she was interviewed by NBC and asked what the win meant to her.
"I honestly don't know, I'm just glad I could be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything we set our minds to," DeVaux said. DeVaux has a Southwest Florida connection. She attended Florida Gulf Coast University from 2000 to 2002 then went on to University of Albany, according to her LinkedIn profile .
On Facebook, she lists her hometown as Englewood, a Florida west coast community. A historic win for DeVaux, former FGCU student with Florida connection Golden Tempo won as a longshot at 23-1 odds. It was the first Kentucky Derby win for jockey Jose Ortiz, who guided Golden Tempo through a furious charge down the backstretch to cross the wire in 2:02.
27. Only 19 starters in Derby history have been trained by women. Before DeVaux, the closest a woman had come to the winner's circle was Shelley Riley, who finished second with Casual Lies in 1992.