After a late run on the outside down the stretch at Churchill Downs, Golden Tempo has won the Kentucky Derby – making Cherie Devaux the first female trainer to win ‘The Run for the Roses’.
Golden Tempo, which arrived at the gate at 23-1 odds, overcame a massive distance to catch up to, then overtake, the pack to beat out morning favorite Renegade by a nose.
Renegade came second, marking the eighth straight year that the morning favorite failed to win the most famous run in American horse racing.
Ocelli, which entered the starting gate at 70-1 odds, finished third while Chief Wallabee came fourth.
Jockey Jose Ortiz, who won the Kentucky Oaks the night before, was dead last at the final turn and managed to guide the horse to victory. He won the Derby by passing his brother, Irad Ortiz, who was atop Renegade.
Devaux becomes the second woman to ever win a triple crown race – joining Jena Antonucci who trained 2023 Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo.
Golden Tempo, which entered the starting gate at 23-1 odds, has won the Kentucky Derby
Golden Tempo made a late push down the stretch to come from dead last to take victory
The win makes Cherie Devaux the first woman trainer to ever win the ‘Run for the Roses’
‘I don’t even have any words right now,’ Devaux said in the moments after the victory.
‘I’m glad that I could be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything we set our minds to.’
Speaking again at the winner’s circle, Devaux told NBC, ‘In the summer of 2017, I was kind of at a crossroads in life and [my husband] told me that I owed it to myself to at least try. And he had the faith in me and he saw what I didn’t see and believed in me.’
The 152nd edition of the historic race was run with only 18 horses instead of the maximum 20 after The Puma and Great White were scratched from the lineup at the last minute.
Churchill Downs officials announced on Saturday morning that The Puma was out because of a swollen leg from a skin infection.
Then, on the walk to the starting gate, Great White lost control and flipped over – throwing jockey Alex Achard from his saddle.
Great White – who entered the field after Silent Tactic was scratched – was examined on-track by veterinarians.
Eventually, the decision was made to take the saddle off the horse – denying Achard his Kentucky Derby debut.
Jockey Jose Ortiz rode his horse from the back of the pack to his first Kentucky Derby win
In order to take the garland of roses, he passed by his brother – Irad Ortiz – at the line
The scratching of Great White further delayed the start of the race. After initially setting a post time of 6:57pm ET, the gates did not open until 7:08pm ET.
It has yet to be determined if Golden Tempo will attempt to become the 14th horse to win the American Triple Crown. The thoroughbred Justify was the last to do so in 2018.
The next phase of that test will be on May 16 in the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes.
The Preakness will be run away from its traditional home of Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore due to construction. Instead, the one-and-three-sixteenths mile race will be held at Laurel Park outside the city.
If Golden Tempo races and wins that, the final test of the Triple Crown will be the Belmont Stakes.
Just like the Preakness, the Belmont Stakes will be run away from its traditional home at Belmont Park just outside the limits of New York City.
Instead, for the third time in as many years, the Belmont Stakes will be run at the historic Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Saratoga is widely considered to be the oldest major sporting venue in the United States, having opened in 1863.
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