Golden Tempo triumphed in the 152nd edition of the Grade 1, $5 million Kentucky Derby on Saturday evening, during an unusually cool yet ultimately bright day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Under the guidance of trainer Cherie DeVaux and the skillful riding of Jose Ortiz, Golden Tempo emerged victorious from a competitive field of 18 horses in the prestigious Run for the Roses.
The horse secured the Derby victory by narrowly defeating a late-charging Renegade — the pre-race favorite — at the finish line by a neck. Ocelli finished in third place, 3/4 of a length behind Renegade, while Chief Wallabee took fourth and Danon Bourbon rounded out the top five in fifth place.
Ortiz is the younger sibling of Renegade’s jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr. The thrilling race to the finish saw Golden Tempo, who had come from well behind in the race, move to the outside of Renegade, with the 70-1 longshot Ocelli positioned to the inside of both competitors.
Historic feat
This marks a significant milestone in the world of horse racing.
DeVaux, the trainer of Golden Tempo, has made history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.
This was DeVaux’s inaugural Derby horse, making her the first female trainer to have a Derby horse since 2021.
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Does Cherie Devaux have kids?
The trainer, who has recently gained worldwide fame, is married to Thoroughbred bloodstock agent David Ingordo. DeVaux has a stepdaughter named Reagan Ingordo.
In a touching gesture typical of a caring stepmother, the trainer has named several horses in honor of Ingordo, including the four-year-old Reagan’s Honor, Parade reported.
In an Instagram video shared by America’s Best Racing, Reagan spoke about her ‘Honor’, stating, “The horse is kind of like my namesake. I see the horse all the time. In training and at the barn when I go in the mornings. And I get to pet him and give him peppermints and all that fun stuff. And of course, this is a special win for the whole family!”
After the Kentucky Derby triumph, during a post-event interview, Reagan happily told to her stepmother, “I’m proud of you, I really am.”
