#CherieDeVaux is the hashtag for the American thoroughbred trainer who, on May 2, 2026, became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner — guiding 23-1 long shot #GoldenTempo from last place to first in the 152nd Run for the Roses.
Quick Facts
- From: Saratoga Springs, New York
- Stable founded: 2018
- 2026 Kentucky Derby winner: Golden Tempo (jockey Jose Ortiz)
- Historic distinction: First female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby; second woman to win any Triple Crown race
Origin
DeVaux grew up in Saratoga Springs, the heart of upstate New York’s thoroughbred racing scene, before working her way through the trainer ranks under Chuck Simon and Chad Brown — two prominent figures in U.S. flat racing. She founded her own training stable in 2018 and built a reputation as a patient, late-running-friendly conditioner whose horses tended to peak in stretch.
What Happened
At Churchill Downs on May 2, 2026, DeVaux saddled Golden Tempo for the Kentucky Derby. The colt left the gate at the back of the 20-horse field, sat in 18th place for much of the race, and uncorked a long sweeping move in the lane under Jose Ortiz to overtake co-favorite Renegade and win at 23-1. Ocelli finished third. The result made DeVaux the first woman to train a Derby winner and the second to win any Triple Crown race overall.
Reactions
In a winner’s-circle interview that was widely re-shared across social media, DeVaux said she was “glad that I could be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything we set our minds to.” National outlets — NPR, Fox News, NBC News, Yahoo Sports — led their Derby coverage with the trainer milestone rather than the upset itself, and the hashtag became a focal point for tributes from women in horse racing and other sports.
Cultural Impact
For a sport where female trainers have historically been heavily underrepresented in Triple Crown winners’ circles, DeVaux’s win is widely treated as a watershed result. Coverage tied her name to a broader conversation about how women trainers are recruited, retained, and entrusted with elite horses — and to the question of how quickly the rest of the calendar’s elite races might follow the Derby’s lead.
Legacy
The win immediately positioned DeVaux’s stable as one of the highest-profile operations heading into the 2026 Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, and the hashtag continues to circulate as a shorthand for the historic moment whenever Triple Crown coverage references women in the training ranks.
Variations & Related Tags
The hashtag travels with #GoldenTempo, #KentuckyDerby2026, and the broader #HorseRacing family.
Sources
- https://www.npr.org/2026/05/02/nx-s1-5808929/golden-tempo-kentucky-derby-winner-cherie-devaux
- https://sports.yahoo.com/horse-racing/live/kentucky-derby-2026-results-golden-tempo-a-23-1-long-shot-runs-from-last-place-to-victory-as-cherie-devaux-becomes-first-female-trainer-to-win-130000647.html
- https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/horse-racing/live-blog/kentucky-derby-2026-live-updates-rcna341955
- https://www.foxnews.com/sports/cherie-devaux-reflects-making-kentucky-derby-history-first-female-trainer-win-race
- https://sports.yahoo.com/horse-racing/article/kentucky-derby-2026-watch-cherie-devaux-react-to-golden-tempos-mad-dash-to-win-the-race-170552837.html