Derby-winning trainer hopes more women will succeed after historic win

Cherie DeVaux reflected on her place in history over the weekend after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner with Golden Tempo’s come-from-behind victory at the Run for the Roses.

“I’ve always just said I’m a horse trainer that happens to be female,” DeVaux told CBS News on Monday.

Only 17 other women have trained horses who ran in the Derby, most recently in 2021. Now that one has made it to the winner’s circle, DeVaux hopes more will follow.

“It’s an honor, honestly, to just be that person that other women, young girls can look up to,” DeVaux said. “You know, we are underrepresented in the industry, and I’m not sure why, but hopefully that changes.”

DeVaux wasn’t always on a path that headed toward the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs, the Derby’s home. In college, she was pre-med and studied to become a physical therapist.

“I wanted to have a life that afforded horses ’cause they’re not cheap,” DeVaux said.

She said she’s ridden horses all her life, and eventually her career shifted to exercising and training horses.

“This kind of just happened, this wasn’t a linear journey,” she said.

She made the jump to training horses on her own eight years ago after meeting her husband.

“The first three years were really slow to get started, kind of like Golden Tempo,” DeVaux said, referring to the bay colt being in last place early on in the Derby before surging towards the finish line.

With the next leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown coming up with the Preakness on May 16, the Derby winner’s trainer said there’s only one vote that matters on whether Golden Tempo will enter the race.

“It’s up to him,” she said.