GOLDEN TEMPLE, with Jose Ortiz aboard went last to first down the stretch to win the 152 edition of the Kentucky Derby.
At odds of 23-1 the Cherie Devaux trained colt took the 5 million dollar Run for the Roses in exciting fashion as he got up from 17 lengths back to beat fan favorite RENEGADE– rode by Irad Ortiz Jr.– Jose’s older brother.
With the GOLDEN TEMPLE victory, DeVaux became the first woman ever to train a Kentucky Derby winner.
DeVaux was an assistant to both Chuck Simon, a beloved figure in racing who died of cancer in September 2024, and five-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown before venturing out on her own in 2018.
DeVaux won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 2024 with MORE THAN LOOKS and now owns a win in the marquee race in North America.
“I started my career here 22 years ago as a bright‑eyed, bushy‑tailed exercise rider. And I would not believe that I would be sitting up here today. Never in my life did I think I would,” DeVaux said after the Derby. “And Chuck [Simon], he would be so proud. I am here because of him, because he pushed me. He pushed my boundaries. He gave me direction when I needed it, and he was always proud of me.”
The brothers Ortiz shared a fist-bump moment once past the finish line. Both elite riders were seeking their first Kentucky Derby win.
The tight finish was incredibly emotional for both brothers, one earning the most important win of his career and the other coming tantalizingly close to an elusive win in his 10th try.
“I want him to win the Derby, of course. I know it’s his dream as well, but it happened my way,” Jose Ortiz told NBC after the brothers became the first pair to finish 1st and 2nd in the Derby. “I think Irad should be happy; his horse ran a very nice race. It’s a very nice horse. It was my year, today’s my day.”
It’s too early to say if GOLDEN TEMPLE will ride in the Preakness Stakes on May 16th. DeVaux is going to closely monitor the horse during the week and let him decide if he wants to come back in two weeks.
But rest assured the Ortiz boys will be at Pimlico Race Course and both will have mounts in the Preakness.
If DeVaux elects not to run stone-cold closer GOLDEN TEMPLE in the Preakness (the shortest of the Triple Crown races), they will, barring injury, race in the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga on June 6th.
Stay tuned.
