No female trainer had ever won the Kentucky Derby until 2026, especially since only 18 women had trained horses that even made it to the race. That changed when Cherie DeVaux made history with Golden Tempo. After the win, she acknowledged, “We are underrepresented in the industry.” Yet, she gave it everything she had.

It’s worth noting her journey did not start with a racing dream. Instead, it started with a sacrifice when she left her pre-med studies and took up a part-time job around horses.

DeVaux was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and horses were always part of her surroundings. Her family had connections to harness racing, not Thoroughbreds, and that early exposure kept her close to the sport. But then her family shifted to South Florida. She eventually decided to pursue pre-med with plans to become a physical therapist.

As she once explained, it was “because I wanted a job that I could afford horses in my life.” She even put herself through college, paying her own way while studying. But suddenly her parents dropped her off at college as they returned to New York. Then came a simple turning point. “I needed a summer job,” she said.

From there, things slowly shifted. She moved into a more serious role and worked as an assistant trainer for Chuck Simon at Saratoga Springs Race Course for about six years. That was her first real step into professional racing.

After that, Cherie DeVaux worked as an assistant trainer for Chad Brown, spending around eight years in one of the top barns in the sport. That gave her the experience. And in 2018, she launched her own stable as a head trainer. But the start was not easy at all.

As her first win came in March 2019. Through it all she has credited her husband, Central Kentucky bloodstock agent David Ingordo for supporting her during the slow moments. And now has led her to be the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. But the question now is, can she create another piece of history?

Can Cherie DeVaux make Preakness history too?

The Preakness Stakes has seen very few female trainers involved over the years, and none have ever won it. Women have had occasional runners in the race, but those moments have been rare compared to the long list of male trainers. One of the closest calls came in 2002, when trainer Nancy Alberts nearly won with Magic Weisner, finishing second in a memorable run.  So the bigger question is, can Cherie DeVaux change that?

After her Kentucky Derby win, the focus quickly shifted to whether she would continue the journey toward the Triple Crown. The Preakness, set for May 16 at Laurel Park, is the next step, with the draw scheduled for May 11. But like many trainers in recent years, she is not rushing the decision. Two of the last four Derby winners, Rich Strike in 2022 and Sovereignty in 2025, skipped the Preakness altogether after the demanding Derby run. DeVaux is taking the same patient approach.

“We’ll assess how he’s doing,” Cherie DeVaux said. “As long as he’s in tip-top shape, we’ll talk about and it is on the table. But it’s really up to…” But at the same time she admits, “The Triple Crown is hard to win for a reason. I appreciate the history of it. Horses are definitely different. They’re not built the same. They’re not trained the same as back then. But current times have shown that it can be done with the right horse.” So now, everyone is just waiting to see if she and Golden Tempo choose the next step toward more history or take a break instead.