A Saratoga Springs native made Kentucky Derby history Saturday, becoming the first female trainer to win the “Run for the Roses.”

Cherie DeVaux, 44, from Upstate New York, trained Golden Tempo, who surged past 17 horses in the final stretch to win the first leg of the Triple Crown. Jockey Jose Ortiz guided the bay colt through traffic before the late charge DeVaux said was typical for him.

“That’s how he runs, so it’s not like we really did anything different than he had done in his previous starts,” DeVaux told

DeVaux said Golden Tempo has always been slow to break from the gate, prompting her team to try blinkers and other adjustments to help him stay focused. Even his rider has described him as lazy, but the horse delivered in his biggest start yet.

In an interview on TODAY, host Craig Melvin asked DeVaux whether she considers herself a trailblazer.

“No, I consider myself a horse trainer and I just happen to be a female,” she said. “But, you know, it’s quite an honor to be the first female trainer to win a Kentucky Derby.”

DeVaux is also just the second to win a Triple Crown race, joining Jena Antonucci, who won at the 2023 Belmont Stakes.

DeVaux trains at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, and comes from a family with deep roots in Standardbred racing. Her brother, Jimmy DeVaux, has won more than 5,000 races as a driver and trainer.

Before she pursued horse racing full time, DeVaux studied pre-med in college with plans to become a physical therapist, according to CBS News. She grew up riding horses and said she wanted a career that would allow her to afford the expensive hobby.

After college, DeVaux worked as a stable employee for Saratoga trainer Chuck Simon before becoming an assistant trainer for Chad Brown, the two-time Preakness Stakes-winning trainer from Mechanicville, New York. She spent eight years working under Brown before earning her trainer’s license in 2018.

DeVaux has more than $30 million in career earnings and 272 wins through Dec. 17, 2025.

As of publication, a decision had not been made on whether Golden Tempo will race next in the Preakness Stakes on May 16. DeVaux said the team will consider it if the horse is healthy and in top form, but ultimately the decision will come down to how he responds after the Derby.

The final leg in the Triple Cown, the Belmont Stakes, will take place in Saratoga Springs on June 6.