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Golden Tempo stormed from the very back of the pack to triumph in the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, giving trainer Cherie DeVaux a landmark victory as the first woman to saddle the winner of America’s most famous horse race.
Sent off at 24-1, Golden Tempo broke slowly under Jose Ortiz and trailed the 18-horse field before threading through traffic and unleashing a late charge from the outside to claim the “Run for the Roses” by a neck on a brisk day in Louisville.
Renegade, the 5-1 co-favourite ridden by Ortiz’s brother Irad Ortiz Jr., finished second, while 70-1 longshot Ocelli was third in front of a crowd of 150,415.
DeVaux, nearly speechless after making history, said she hoped the victory would resonate beyond racing.
“I don’t even have any words right now,” DeVaux said in a post-race interview.
“I’m glad that I could be a representative of all women everywhere. We can do anything we set our minds to,” she said.
“I’m just so happy for Golden Tempo and Jose, who did a masterful job at getting him there, because he was so far out of it. He has had so much faith in this horse.”
DeVaux said she did not panic when Golden Tempo was well back early, saying she was confident her three-year-old bay colt could close.
“That’s how he runs,” she said at a press conference.
“So it’s not like we really did anything different than he hadn’t done in his previous starts.
“And about the 3/16 pole, I thought we’re probably going to win this. I kind of blacked out after that,” she said, laughing.
Ortiz, who won the Kentucky Derby for the first time, had to run down his older brother Irad in the stretch after Renegade also launched a late bid, following early traffic from the rail.
“It’s a dream come true. This is the biggest race in the world for me. I’m blessed,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz became emotional as he reflected on winning with his parents in attendance.
“I get to ride it almost every year but to get to win it with my mom and my dad here, it’s very special,” he said as tears began to stream down his face.
“I just wish my grandpa was here but I know he is looking down from heaven and is happy to see me achieve my life’s goal.”
Ortiz said his brother should take pride in Renegade’s performance despite the defeat.
“I know it is his dream as well, but it happened that way and I think he should be happy,” he said.
“His horse ran a very good race, it’s a very nice horse. But it was my day, Golden Tempo’s day and I’m happy for Cherie and for the ownership.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. said he was impressed by the Todd Pletcher-trained Renegade’s fight.
“We got squeezed at the start. We came flying late, but the winner just got the jump on me,” he said.
The victory capped a memorable weekend for Jose Ortiz, who also won the Kentucky Oaks aboard Always a Runner on Friday.
“To get the double is very hard,” he said after becoming the ninth rider to win both races in the same year.
“They were joking inside the (jockey) room today that 10 guys had done it, it’s not impossible. I’m just very happy.”
The victory was worth $3.1 million for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo, the Kentucky-bred son of Curlin.
Golden Tempo returned $48.24, $19.14, $11.90.
Renegade returned $7.14 and $5.46 with Ocelli paying $36.34 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.
The Kentucky Derby is the opening leg of US thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown.
The Preakness Stakes is next up on May 16 before the series concludes with the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
