A female trainer had never won the Kentucky Derby before. But Cherie DeVaux wanted to change that. “The only thing I want to do in my career is be the first female to win a Kentucky Derby,” she once said. At the 152nd running of the race, she finally did it with Golden Tempo. The colt galloped through the last leg and won the race in 2:02.27, to secure a historic win in the Run for the Roses. However, when the celebration settled, one question stood out: How much money did this victory actually bring in?

Golden Tempo’s victory came with a total purse of $5 million with the winner’s share amounting to approximately $3.1 million. That figure is often mentioned as a single payout, but in reality, it is split among the key people connected to the horse.

The largest portion (around 80 percent) goes to the ownership group, a partnership between Phipps Stable (Daisy Phipps Pulito) and St. Elias Stable (Vincent Viola). The trainer, Cherie DeVaux, receives around 10 percent of the winning share, while jockey Jose Ortiz also earns about 10 percent for guiding Golden Tempo to victory. But even the jockey’s share is not fully his to keep.

Out of his earnings, a portion is paid out to his support team. In most cases, around 25 percent goes to his agent, who manages rides and bookings, while about 5 percent goes to his valet, who handles equipment and day-to-day race preparation.

Behind Golden Tempo, the race also had other strong performances. Renegade finished second after briefly leading in the final stretch, earning around $1 million, while Ocelli came through late to take third with about $500,000. But this prize money wasn’t the story in Derby.

The financial magnitude of the race has also varied over time. The prize money increased significantly, with the 2023 prize money standing at $3,000,000, which was then increased to $5,000,000 in 2024, making it one of the richest events of the Kentucky Derby.

But with Golden Tempo’s win, a bigger question is, can he win the the Triple Crown run with her trainer?

Can Golden Tempo chase the Triple Crown?

On May 2, Golden Tempo not only stunned the field at 23-1, but also delivered when it was most needed. Jockey Jose Ortiz was in the right place at the right time, as he drove down the backstretch on a fierce late charge and won in 2:02.27. It was a Derby, both horse and rider, breakthrough. But the story is another layer connected to Cherie DeVaux.

DeVaux was raised in Saratoga Springs, which surrounded her with racing, but then stepped away to study medicine at SUNY Albany and then found her way back to the track. She became independent in 2018 after having learned under trainers such as Chuck Simon and Chad Brown. It took years of building, waiting and rebuilding to bring her here to a win at the Derby. Now the question is, can the same trip be made to take a Triple Crown run? 

History says the road gets harder, not easier. Only 18 women-trained horses have ever run in the Kentucky Derby, and none had won it before DeVaux. The closest moment came in 1992 when Shelley Riley finished second with Casual Lies.

But the Triple Crown itself has come to be an endurance test and a test of decision-making rather than speed. Justify in 2018 was the last horse to win all three races. Since that time no winner has been able to complete the sweep. However, if Golden Tempo keep on running, the next thing to touch will be the Preakness Stakes on May 17th at Saratoga Racecourse.

The Belmont this year will be run at 1 1/4 miles rather than at the usual 1 1/2 miles due to changes in the track and with a purse of $2 million awaiting its conclusion, the series could be reinstated on Belmont Park after renovations.

So now everything circles back to one idea. The Derby win is already history, but the real story starts after it.