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Cherie DeVaux has made history as the first woman trainer to win at the Kentucky Derby, after horse Golden Tempo triumphed at Churchill Downs.
“I don’t even have any words right now. I just can’t,” DeVaux, 44, told reporters after Golden Tempo’s victory on Saturday, May 2. “I’m just so so so happy for Golden Tempo. José [Ortiz, the jockey] did a wonderful job, a masterful job getting him there and he has had so much faith in this horse.”
When asked what it meant to her to become the first female trainer to emerge victorious at the historic race, she added, “I honestly don’t know, I’m glad that I can be a representative of all women everywhere that we can do anything that we set our minds to.”
DeVaux was joined during her post-race interview by her and husband David Ingordo’s 15-year-old daughter Reagan, who proudly described her mom’s historic Kentucky Derby win as “truly an honor.”
“I’m proud of you, I really am,” Reagan told her mom.
Jockey José and Golden Temple outran heavy favorites Renegade, So Happy and Further Ado at the annual Louisville, Kentucky, race. This was José’s first Derby victory — a career milestone he achieved while competing head-to-head against his brother Irad Ortiz Jr., who was riding Renegade.
“It’s very special,” José told reporters while crying. “I just wish my grandpa was here … I’m just very happy that I get my goal, my life-dream goal, achieved. It’s an amazing experience and I can’t wait to see my family and celebrate.”
José started jockeying in his native Puerto Rico before moving to the U.S. to compete in the mid-2010s. (José and his wife, former jockey Taylor Ortiz, share three children: daughter Leilani and sons Derek and Nikolai.)
Jockey José Ortiz and Golden Tempo celebrate winning the Kentucky Derby. Michael Reaves/Getty Images
José also offered encouragement to any Puerto Ricans who might be interested in getting into horse racing.
“[You should] have a good attitude, try to learn English, try to learn every day, more,” he suggested. “It takes time, I’ve been here 11 years, this is my 11th year. It takes time, you got to work — be responsible, respect people. They got to know that I was sitting there 50 years ago in the same chair they’re sitting … Dreams do come true, you just got to dream big.”
DeVaux became a lead horse trainer in 2019 after spending eight years as an assistant to Chuck Simon and Chad Brown. Prior to Saturday’s race, DeVaux told Lexington 18 that she wanted to set an example for young women with her horse’s performance at the Kentucky Derby.
“I don’t really look at it as male versus female,” she told the local news outlet on Friday, May 1. “I just try to do the best I can, but in the back of my mind, just to be a strong role model.”
DeVaux added, “The only thing I want to do in my career is be the first female to win a Kentucky Derby. This is our first Derby starter, and we’re one step closer.”
Many famous faces were on hand to witness DeVaux’s groundbreaking Kentucky Derby win, including University of North Carolina Tar Heels football coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson. The late Anna Nicole Smith’s 19-year-old daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, also made her annual appearance at the Derby alongside her dad, Larry Birkhead.
