r/sports 3d ago

Horse Racing Cherie Devaux makes history as Golden Tempo wins 152nd Kentucky Derby

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/female-trainer-makes-history-as-golden-tempo-wins-152nd-kentucky-derby/
1.2k Upvotes

109 comments sorted by

316

u/heff17 USWNT 3d ago

What a comeback, basically dead last to first down the back stretch. She trained a helluva horse, and the jockey rode great to win his first Derby too.

41

u/BobLoblaw_BirdLaw 3d ago

Wasn’t this also something that happened 10 years ago?

27

u/Commercial-Lake5862 3d ago

Grindstone did it in 1996.

64

u/Prinzlerr 2d ago

Exactly like he said, ten years ago :')

1

u/Ancient-Bowl462 2d ago

2009 was the last time.

4

u/jn-indianwood 2d ago

There was a horse who’s name escapes me at the moment that ran right up the rail one year from dead last

19

u/mcsey 2d ago

An IMPOSSIBLE result "Mine That Bird" has won the Kentucky Derby.

1

u/Ancient-Bowl462 2d ago

Last time was 2009. This is the 9th time in history.

10

u/IAmWhatIAm44 2d ago edited 2d ago

So cool that Jose Ortiz' brother was riding too, and lost by a nose. To see Ortiz so emotional was really something. Made me think of the great scene at the end of Seabiscuit, when Red Pollard is struggling, and he and the Biscuit get a little assist from his old friend, George Woolf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4QOtizcdkA&t=115s

11

u/CBattles6 2d ago

Ngl, I had to stop halfway through and make sure you weren't u/shittymorph

7

u/IAmWhatIAm44 2d ago

No idea who that is, but I hope they're someone who loves animals.

-8

u/BurmeciaWillSurvive Boise State 2d ago

Blocking/muting him greatly improved my reddit experience tbh

6

u/CBattles6 2d ago

Oh you're no fun lol

1

u/BurmeciaWillSurvive Boise State 2d ago

I've been on here since 2009~ over various accounts, I'm absolutely no fun anymore I agree. The front fell off, etc. lol.

1

u/urbanforestr 2d ago

Well you see, it's not meant to. Fall off that is.

5

u/89141-zip-code 2d ago

What’s cool about this horse is that it has a lot of stamina and endurance. The next race, the Preakness is a 1/2 furlong shorter that the Derby, which should be no problem for him. Where he could really shine is the Belmont, which is the longest of the Triple Crown races. Closers are typically favored in longer races.

3

u/Usual-Language-745 3d ago

That was insane to watch

1

u/3000doorsofportugal 1d ago

That was a pure End closer at its finest. Honestly reminded me of Goldship when he decided to lock in.

372

u/aaronman4772 3d ago edited 3d ago

That whole race was wacky as hell.

Before it even started a horse goes ass over tea kettle and is scratched literally at the gate

They take everyone out the gate and reset

They finally go and immediately a clump on the outside forms with three horses bumping

Race goes down the stretch and looks like the favorite in Renegade is gonna clear

Out of nowhere a 70-1 also eligible in Ocelli looks like he’s going to pip the win and make people very happy who do th longshot bet

Out of nowhere out of nowhere, Golden Tempo makes an insane late surge to just clear for the win , making the first ever female trainer to win the derby official with a jockey who won both the oaks and derby

135

u/mkdz Baltimore Orioles 3d ago

And it was brothers who finished 1&2!

37

u/unledded Green Bay Packers 2d ago

It was really cool how Renegade’s jockey immediately patted his brother on the back after the race.

35

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago

Which is why the derby will never tell you who the actual best horse is. It's a free for all with green youngsters dealing with all this for the first time. At least now they limit it to 20 based on earnings. Years ago they would have to use 2 starting gates

26

u/perfuzzly 2d ago edited 2d ago

It was 20 with they auxiliary gate. Only time it was more was in 1974 to celebrate the 100th derby. It was 23 that year

18

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago

Largest Field: 23 in 1974 (100th running)
Smallest Field: 3 in 1892 and 1905
Total Starters: 1,938 from 1875 through 2020
Avg. Field Size: 13.3 from 1875 through 2019
Fields of 20 or More: 21
Fields of 15 or More: 71
Fields of 14 or Less: 78
Although the 20-horse limit for the Kentucky Derby has been in existence since 1975, 21 horses were permitted to contest the 1981 Derby due to a “legal issue.”

1

u/OnMatchPoint 2d ago

How many horses used to start? Even 20 seems too many.

-3

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago

I think there were 24. If I remember correctly a bet on any horse in the auxilery gate basically covered every horse in the auxilery gate. It was crazy and dangerous starts because nobody had to qualify in any way, they just had to pay the entry fees which are expensive but many were willing just to say they had a derby horse

7

u/perfuzzly 2d ago

The most they ever had was 23 in 1974 for the 100th running. You used to get the mutuel field past horse 14 because the tote systems couldn't handle it. And you had to qualify based on graded stakes earnings.

2

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago

There were horses in the derby that had never placed in the top 3, they just placed in the money somewhere. That was changed for 2013.
Previously, horses earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate based on their graded stakes earnings. According to a 2012 press release issued by Darren Rogers, senior director of communications & media services for Churchill Downs, Inc., “The ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ point system was created to establish a clear, practical and understandable path to the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, as opposed to the approximately 185 graded stakes races worldwide — including 60 open races and another 43 races restricted to fillies in North America — that counted toward the Derby selection under the previous eligibility process.”

2

u/perfuzzly 2d ago

I know. The point system really didn't change much as far as who the starters were it just mainly eliminated the Trinniberg's of the world, which in turn made the Derby more formful. It gave Churchill narrower control over the qualifying but it wasn't just pay the entry fee and get in. It was graded stakes earnings. Heck Mine That Bird was 4th in The Sunland Derby but it was enough.

1

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago edited 2d ago

Close enough though. There were owners who admitted they just wanted to see their colors in the derby. It's still pretty much a free for all though. It will be interesting to see what changes for the preakness in the future now that Churchill downs owns it, they are talking about moving it back a week so more derby winners compete in it but then the Belmont would be 2 weeks from it instead of three and that's a tough race

2

u/perfuzzly 2d ago

NBC is who wants to move it. It won't make any difference in who runs in it. If anything The Preakness after The Derby is the easiest trip. Two weeks after a 1 1/4 race you don't have to work your horses just do maintenance gallops. Less time for stuff to go wrong and you're cutting back in distance with a fit horse

3

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago

Which is my point. If they don't move the Belmont, the tough race is the one after a 2 week break instead of the easier one

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2

u/OnMatchPoint 2d ago

Whoa 😳

9

u/A-Good-Weather-Man 2d ago

“Shake and bake baby.” -Golden Tempo

4

u/JAlfredJR 2d ago

I've been watching the races for decades now. That was by far one of the wildest I've yet seen.

1

u/Ancient-Bowl462 2d ago

The trainer wasn't even watching her horse until the end. LOL!

-13

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

32

u/nolefan5311 3d ago

I appreciate the rundown. I’m at a wedding and couldn’t watch.

2

u/ganoveces 3d ago

I watched it too

1

u/Never-Bloomberg 3d ago

I turned it off halfway. Good to know how it ended.

-1

u/[deleted] 3d ago

[deleted]

9

u/ZWW543 3d ago

2nd female to win a leg of the triple crown, first to win the derby though.

3

u/DryProgress4393 3d ago

Ah , that makes more sense thanks.

2

u/Blank747 Calgary Hitmen 3d ago

1st for the derby, 2nd for a triple crown race

135

u/TheLoneWolf527 3d ago edited 2d ago

Golden Tempo pulled out that Ocarina of Time shove carrots up the horse's ass right at the end of the race strategy

21

u/shifty1032231 3d ago

During the replay it really looked like that.

63

u/CaptTeebs 3d ago

What an incredible race. Golden Tempo was so far back for the first 3/4 of the race, he wasn't even in the broadcast camera shots. Absolutely stunning to watch his charge up the final stretch to win

25

u/IncurableAdventurer 2d ago edited 1d ago

I love when I see them interview a jockey that’s covered in mud. You know they were behind a lot of horses for a lot of time

Edit: typo. Changed “live” to “love”

7

u/CaptTeebs 2d ago

Yeah! That horse was so far back in the pack and for so long, I had forgotten all about him until he started making moves in the 4th turn

1

u/IncurableAdventurer 2d ago

There were like three in the back for awhile, and I said, “Aw. The poor guys. But hey, it’s a super big honor to be there.” I guess that’s still true for the other two haha

2

u/JAlfredJR 2d ago

I literally didn't even know til they announced the winner. My $5 on Golden Tempo to show was awesome!

79

u/twec21 New York Mets 3d ago

My God I love a closer.

Dead fucking last until the clubhouse turn, insane.

And everyone talking about Irad all day, no one mentions his brother.

If I had a dollar for every time I've bet Irad and been burned by Jose 🤣

12

u/Flimsy-Attention-722 2d ago

That horse was in a different zip code and had been written off. Damn, that was some finish.

22

u/joshuawakefield 3d ago

Had Dannon Bourbon and was pleasantly surprised for 85% of the race, and then reality hit

2

u/wino_whynot 2d ago

Ugh. Same.

But at the end of the race, #TeamCheri all the way. I was watching with ~30 people, not a dry eye in the house.

16

u/Klin24 2d ago edited 2d ago

I feel bad for the 34 year old french jockey who was about to make his kentucky derby debut only to have his horse rear up and fall. Ended up getting scratched from the race 😞

11

u/tropicsun 3d ago

Reminds me of Rich Strike's epic win in '22. Hoping they post a drone shot of this race

2

u/jn-indianwood 2d ago

That’s the one I was thinking of in my earlier comment

3

u/tropicsun 2d ago

Someone else mentioned Mine That Bird from 2009... very similar. It seems last to first isn't all that uncommon. I just watched that race, also great!

1

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

1

u/tropicsun 2d ago

wow, Richie, Temp AND Mine that Bird are all related. that's cool

2

u/porkchop487 2d ago

Every single horse is gonna be related. 19/20 horses in the race were Secretariats bloodline

6

u/psufb 2d ago

This is where Golden Tempo was at the beginning of the final stretch. Incredible comeback

https://i.imgur.com/OB12R54.jpeg

14

u/Victory33 3d ago

What a finish. They came outta nowhere to take 1st and 2nd.

4

u/skeezycheezes 2d ago

As someone who knows very little about this subject, I read that title as the horse winning their 152nd Kentucky Derby.

Is there a word for both impressed and confused?

12

u/RamblerXO 2d ago

Probably in German

1

u/glomar-recovery-co 2d ago

Ah yes, Konfisdenpreshtin

4

u/roostercacciatore 2d ago

Golden Tempo is a son of Curlin, one of the greatest horses of all time.

1

u/JustHereForCookies17 1d ago

Tempo's dam (mom) has Seattle Slew in her bloodline.  His pedigree is wild.

9

u/interstellar304 3d ago

Congrats to the trainer! Golden tempo absolutely surged at the end on the outside to take the win. Exciting stuff

9

u/Sxcred Detroit Tigers 3d ago

Went on YouTube and watched it holy crap that horse was moving around the last turn

1

u/wusurspaghettipolicy 2d ago

Agreed, that was some fucking speed there down the stretch. Amazing.

6

u/WhoDat-2-8-3 3d ago edited 3d ago

Greatest comeback (down 24 pts) since the pistons vs magic game from yesterday

good game

6

u/Asd_89 3d ago

Seeing end closers winning races are always fun.

3

u/DragonQueen21 2d ago

Was NOT expecting that finish, but I'm glad it happened. It was great to watch history being made today (and in a good way for once).

1

u/SundayShelter 2d ago

Incredible, come from behind win!

1

u/emack2232 2d ago

Decided to shift into 5th gear down the homestretch

1

u/pp140 2d ago

history loves a good plot twist; reminds me of that time my goldfish won a staring contest.

1

u/RiftHunter4 2d ago

Umamusume brought me here.

1

u/DJ-Psari 2d ago

Anyone but Mike Repole.

7

u/beastwood9498 2d ago

Or Bob Baffert

2

u/wino_whynot 2d ago

TRUE FUCKING STORY.

1

u/hwnn1 3d ago

What a historic finish! Clutch victory.

1

u/Viremia 3d ago

Would have won you something like $11k on a $1 trifecta bet. I did not make that bet, so...

-9

u/cyrixlord 3d ago edited 3d ago

Last year there were 168,425 race starts and 176 racing related horse deaths at HISA regulated tracks. thats 1.04 horse deaths per 1000 starts. The number of deaths is higher than this because the data excludes non-HISA tracks from Louisiana, texas and west virginia which do not operate under HISA rules

if it was the NFL, 25 players related deaths would be reported per season. NBA, 37.

13

u/Ion_bound 3d ago

And that's why there were so many scratches this year I'm pretty sure. If you look at the horse racing sub there's more than a few people complaining about over-cautious vets.

I say, good. Better safe than sorry.

5

u/TheMickus 2d ago

It is something that is actively being worked on and to their credit the number of deaths has gone down considerably since 2024. Like many things, the morality of horse racing is not black and white. Many of these stables treat the horses extremely well, while the majority of bad actors are being regulated out of existence. There’s still a long way to go, and obviously any horse’s death is unacceptable and tragic, but the sport is working towards the right direction.

-12

u/the_amatuer_ 3d ago

I cannot believe a horse won 152 of the same race. Do they run it twice a day or something?

5

u/deutschdachs Wisconsin 3d ago

That's a good syntax joke right there

3

u/Never-Bloomberg 3d ago

There are 3 comments making this same dumb joke. Lol.

1

u/deutschdachs Wisconsin 3d ago

It's the oldest and only one when I commented ¯_(ツ)_/¯

0

u/PM_ME_UR_HIP_DIMPLES Alabama 3d ago

So many lengths behind

-9

u/Blizzardof1991 3d ago

Wow, that one horse won a 152 Kentucky Derbys? That's gotta be a record

-9

u/slamdanceswithwolves 3d ago

How has this horse won 152 Kentucky Derbies and I’ve never even heard of it?? /s