“The only thing I want to do in my career is be the first female to win a Kentucky Derby,” said Cherie DeVaux as if predicting the future. And so she did, becoming  the first female horse trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. AHer horse, Golden Tempo,  won despite being way back in the pack and and the odds stacked up 30-1.

Combined with jockey José Ortiz, the thoroughbred beat out bookies’ favorite such as  Renegade (2), Commandment (6) and Further Ado (11). Even So Happy (9) and Mark Glatt, with their incredible story, couldn’t quite keep up the pace in the end. And having made history, the question remains: Who is Cherie DeVaux, actually? Let’s have a look at it.

Meet Cherie DeVaux: The Trainer Behind Golden Tempo Horse

Born December 2, 1981, Cherie DeVaux didn’t quite start out as a horse-trainer. Instead, she went to college and studied pre-med before taking a U-turn and becoming a horse trainer. She worked as an assistant trainer for both Chad Brown and Chuck Simon before opening her own stable in 2018.

DeVaux is married bloodstock agent David Ingordo and it turns out that horse racing is a family affair. That’s because Ingordo is a well-regarded figure in the industry as someone who is involved with the acquisition of top-level horses. A horse racing trainer himself, he doesn’t compete as much anymore although he has won 10 races in his career.

Not only that, the two work rather closely together and have collaborated on multiple ventures. That includes picking fillies for Belladonna Racing since 2019. The partnership has already seen success, with them winning consecutive graded wins in 2023. And as it turns out, horse racing is their life.

She also co-parents Reagan Ingordo, David Ingordo’s daughter from a previous marriage. Regan has grown up closely linked to the sport, thanks to her father, and that continues even now. So much so, that she has been actively involved in the family’s racing and ownership ventures. In fact, Cherie and David even named Reagan’s Honor after her.

DeVaux’s family ties to racing extend further, with her younger sister Adrianne stepping into training in September 2024 after spending four years working under her guidance, continuing the stable’s influence across generations.

What are Cherie DeVaux’s Achievements as a horse trainer?

While she became officially became a lead trainer in 2018, things didn’t quite click for DeVaux at first. It took her 29 starts before she earnt her first win, winning the Maiden Claiming. From there, wins and especially Graded Stake wins came steadily as Cherie DeVaux climbed up the ladder.

So much so, by the end of the 2025 season, she won not one but six graded stakes races. That includes the E. P. Taylor Stakes (Gr. 1) and the Lecomte Stakes (Gr. 3). However, the 2026 Kentucky Derby marked DeVaux’s first starter in a Triple Crown Race and she’s off to a flyer.

Since becoming a lead horse trainer in 2018, DeVaux has a record of 1801 starts and has finished on the podium 777 times. That includes 297 first-place wins, including a memorable victory at the 2026 Kentucky Derby.

What is Cherie DeVaux’s net worth and Career Earnings?

She may have made her debut as a lead horse trainer in 2018, but Cherie DeVaux has thrived. There’s no denying her incredible rise, from an assistant to icons like Chad Brown to running her own stable. And now, having won the Kentucky Derby, DeVaux’s stock will only shoot up even more. Unfortunately, no exact figure is available for her net worth, but according to Equibase, her operation is certainly thriving.

It has meant that over her career, DeVaux has earned just under $33,000,000. An incredible return, cemented by her success in 2024, when she won just over $10,000,000.

Who is Golden Tempo? What breed is the horse?

Born February 7, 2023, Golden Tempo is a three-year-old American thoroughbred racehorse. Owned by Phipps Stable of Daisy Phipps Pulito, he has been trained by Cherie DeVaux from the get-go. And his pedigree is rather impressive, containing several Preakness Stakes winners and even Seattle Slew. For the unversed, Seattle Slew is the tenth winner of the American Triple Crown race. He did it in 1977 and is still the only horse to have done so while undefeated in any other race.

Beyond that, the 2026 Kentucky Derby winning colt’s lineage includes several Canadian Hall of Fame horses as well as multiple Gr. 1 winners. The Kentucky Derby win marks his first major victory, having previously won the Gr. 2 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes earlier this year.

How Cherie DeVaux Made History With Golden Tempo at the Kentucky Derby?

Cherie DeVaux became the first ever female horse trainer to win the Kentucky Derby. She is also the second trainer to ever win an American Triple Crown race, with the first being Jena Antonucci. Antonucci won the 2023 Belmont Stakes with Arcangelo but DeVaux won the Derby in her first opportunity, just eight years after establishing her own stable.