The Kentucky Derby has been run since 1875. In all 151 prior runnings, no woman had ever trained the winning horse.
On May 2, 2026, Cherie DeVaux did.
The Race
Golden Tempo went off at 24-1 odds — a true longshot in a field of well-fancied horses. The race itself unfolded the way Derby longshots win races: a measured trip, a clear path opening at the right moment, a closing kick that nobody quite saw coming until the wire was in sight.
Why It Matters
Horse racing's training ranks have been overwhelmingly male for the entire history of the sport. DeVaux had been a successful trainer for years before the Derby win — well-respected within the industry, but operating in a sport where the biggest race had a historical ceiling. She walked through it.
The Bigger Picture
The same Masters tournament saw Rory McIlroy win back-to-back green jackets — the first to do so since Tiger Woods in 2001–02. The same NHL season saw the Minnesota Wild win a playoff series for the first time in 11 years. Sports keep producing the kinds of records that made you think they couldn't happen.
That's the fun of a live broadcast. You don't know yet which Saturday you're going to remember.