At the 152nd Run for the Roses on Saturday, horse history was made at Churchill Downs. So was herstory.
Thoroughbred Golden Tempo came back from last place to win the Kentucky Derby at 23-1 odds in a thrilling finish that captivated spectators and had one particular woman in the crowd giddily jumping up and down: Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux.
DeVaux’s live reaction to Golden Tempo crossing the finish line was caught on camera, a candid, special moment that showed just how much the victory meant to her. DeVaux became the first ever female trainer to win the Derby in the event’s century-plus history. She also became the second woman to win a Triple Crown race, behind Jena Antonucci who won with Arcangelo at the 2023 Belmont Stakes.
Afterward, she was left speechless in a post-race interview on the track with NBC.
The sport of kings has found its queen 👑
— Maggie Davis (@MaggieDavisTV) May 2, 2026
Cherie DeVaux is the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. 1 out of 152. A Golden moment at Churchill Downs 💛 pic.twitter.com/GMAy61M4vB
After taking some time to compose herself, DeVaux said of her historic win: “I’m glad I can be a representative of all women everywhere, that we can do anything we set our minds to.”
She later credited her husband for encouraging her to pursue her career path and always believing in her. DeVaux, a Saratoga Springs native, studied under some of the top horse trainers before starting her own barn in 2018, and so far her horses have won her a total of roughly $33 million in career earnings.
Entering this year’s Kentucky Derby, only 17 women have ever trained a horse for the prestigious race, while just six women have ridden in the race, according to The Washington Post. DeVaux now stands alone in history, no doubt keenly aware of her the monumental feat she just accomplished.
“It would be irresponsible of me to not acknowledge that what I’m doing does inadvertently make a difference, even if it’s not my intent,” DeVaux told The Washington Post before the Derby. “My brothers are a lot bigger than me, so I think that’s what shaped me. I’ve had to fight and scrap and be heard so that I could survive growing up. And I understand that’s not the same for everybody.”
Legendary Kentucky Derby voice Donna Brothers bows out to a beautiful swan song
It was only fitting that legendary Kentucky Derby commentator Donna Brothers was there to witness DeVaux’s watershed win. In one of the most heartfelt moments of the Derby, Brothers interviewed DeVaux before the race and told her she hoped DeVaux would become the first female trainer to win today. As fate would have it, she did.
Brothers, a former jockey, has served as a beloved staple for NBC’s coverage of horse racing since 2000 and announced she planned to retire after the 152nd Derby. In her swan song at Churchill Downs, she conducted her last iconic ride-along interview with Golden Tempo’s jockey Jose Ortiz in flawless and effortless style, making interviewing an athlete look incredibly easy on horseback.
That’s my heroine Donna Brothers! Former female jockey who’s retiring after covering the Kentucky Derby for NBC for 25 years. One of my favorite parts of the Derby is Donna interviewing the winner on horseback. @DonnaBBrothers https://t.co/Znz6pQJtAa
— Judy Farah 📇👩🏼💻 (@newsbabe1530) May 2, 2026
Brothers, 60, has been doing this for a long time but noted she’s very content with how her two careers panned out—horse racing and commentating—and felt like she’s “earned the right to retire.” One of the most celebrated female jockeys of her time, Brothers won 1,130 races during her 11-year horse racing career before retiring in 1998. At NBC, Brothers has witnessed the best and worst of the sport, from interviewing jockey Victor Espinoza after he won the Triple Crown in 2015 to witnessing thoroughbred Eight Belles’s tragic injury on the track in ‘08.
Twenty-six races later, Brothers is ready to walk away from it all. Like DeVaux, she’s left an indelible mark in a male-dominated sport and deserves her own decorated chapter in horse history.
“There are a lot of people, when I tell ’em I’m going to retire, they seem sad for me. And they’re like, ‘Oh, I know you’re going to miss it.’ And I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I’ve had the second-best seat in the house for 26 years,” Brothers said. “... I think it’s just time to pass the baton. It’s been an awfully fun ride.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Forget About Horses—These Two Empowering Women Ruled the Kentucky Derby in Golden Tempo’s Historic Win.
