Kentucky Derby & Belmont Stakes Winner
On May 3, 2026, Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, when her horse, Golden Tempo, stormed from dead last to win the race. A month later, she led Golden Tempo to another win at the Belmont Stakes, cementing her name in the history of horseracing.
Born in Saratoga Springs, New York, and raised in Florida, DeVaux grew up immersed in horse racing. One of ten children, with seven brothers and two sisters, she was surrounded by the sport from birth. After studying pre-med in college, she faced a crossroads, and she chose horses over medicine. Cherie worked her way up from stable hand under trainer Chuck Simon, to assistant trainer in Chad Brown's elite operation, where she helped orchestrate the miraculous comeback of champion mare Lady Eli. She earned her trainer's license in 2018, built her own barn horse by horse, and steadily rose through the ranks. Cherie won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Mile and earned a national championship with She Feels Pretty in 2025