Dead Last to First: Golden Tempo’s Miraculous Surge Stuns Churchill Downs

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The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby will be remembered as the day the “Run for the Roses” finally saw a woman in the winner’s circle and a horse that redefined the term “closer.” Golden Tempo shocked the world at Churchill Downs, roaring from the very back of the pack to secure a historic victory at 23–1 odds.

While the win was a masterpiece of equine athleticism, the true headline belonged to the paddock: Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer in the history of the Kentucky Derby to saddle a winner, shattering a 152-year-old glass ceiling in the sport of kings.

The Race: A Masterclass in Patience

The start of the race was marred by tension as Great White was a late scratch after rearing up in the gate, leaving an 18-horse field. When the gates finally flew open, Golden Tempo—starting from the difficult Post 19—didn’t just start slow; he settled into dead last.

As the favorites, Renegade and Commandment, battled for position near the front, Golden Tempo and jockey Jose Ortiz remained nearly 20 lengths back through the backstretch. To the 150,000 fans in attendance, the 23–1 longshot looked out of the conversation.

But as the field rounded the final turn, the “Golden” surge began:

The Move: Ortiz guided Golden Tempo to the far outside, finding clear dirt while the leaders began to leg-weary in the mud.
The Kick: In a final furlong that announcer Travis Stone described as “unbelievable,” Golden Tempo found a gear no other horse possessed, picking off fifteen horses in the final 300 yards.
The Finish: He caught the favorite, Renegade, in the final strides to win by a neck with a time of 2:02.57.

The Historic Milestone: Cherie DeVaux

While Golden Tempo provided the thunder on the track, the lightning strike for the industry was Cherie DeVaux. Since the Derby’s inception in 1875, only 18 women had ever saddled a horse in the race, and none had ever stood on the victory podium at Churchill Downs.

DeVaux, who opened her own stable just eight years ago after a long apprenticeship under Chad Brown, has been a rising star in the industry. Her victory follows in the footsteps of Jena Antonucci (who became the first woman to win a Triple Crown race at the 2023 Belmont Stakes), but winning the Derby—the most coveted trophy in American racing—elevates DeVaux to a different stratosphere.

“I don’t even have words,” a tearful DeVaux said during the trophy presentation. “I’m just so happy for this horse. I’m glad I can be a representative for all women—to show that we can do anything we put our minds to.”

The Fallout: Triple Crown Fever

The victory was also a personal milestone for jockey Jose Ortiz, who secured his first-ever Kentucky Derby win in his 11th attempt, famously beating out his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr., who was aboard the second-place Renegade.

2026 Kentucky Derby Top Finishers:

Golden Tempo (23–1)
Renegade (4–1)
Ocelli (70–1)

With a historic trainer at the helm and a horse that seems to thrive on distance, the racing world now turns its eyes to the Preakness Stakes. If Golden Tempo can replicate his late-race magic in Baltimore, we might be looking at the most improbable Triple Crown threat in a generation.