Derby-winning trainer hopes more women will succeed after historic win

U.S. Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux hopes more women will succeed in horse racing after historic win By Alex Sundby Alex Sundby Senior Editor Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest. Read Full Bio Alex Sundby May 4, 2026 / 12:40 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Cherie DeVaux reflected on her place in history over the weekend after becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner with Golden Tempo's come-from-behind victory at the Run for the Roses."I've always just said I'm a horse trainer that happens to be female," DeVaux told CBS News on Monday.Only 17 other women have trained horses who ran in the Derby, most recently in 2021. Now that one has made it to the winner's circle, DeVaux hopes more will follow."It's an honor, honestly, to just be that person that other women, young girls can look up to," DeVaux said. "You know, we are underrepresented in the industry, and I'm not sure why, but hopefully that changes." Golden Tempo's trainer Cherie DeVaux kisses the trophy after the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky. Matt Stone/USA Today Network via Imagn Images DeVaux wasn't always on a path that headed toward the winner's circle at Churchill Downs, the Derby's home. In college, she was pre-med and studied to become a physical therapist."I wanted to have a life that afforded horses 'cause they're not cheap," DeVaux said.She said she's ridden horses all her life, and eventually her career shifted to exercising and training horses. "This kind of just happened, this wasn't a linear journey," she said.She made the jump to training horses on her own eight years ago after meeting her husband."The first three years were really slow to get started, kind of like Golden Tempo," DeVaux said, referring to the...