Golden Tempo Pulls Off Stunning 23-1 Upset at 2026 Kentucky Derby
Golden Tempo, a 23-1 long shot, won the 2026 Kentucky Derby with jockey Jose Ortiz, marking a historic victory for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who became the first woman to saddle a Derby winner. The race concluded with Renegade in second and Ocelli in third, following a dramatic stretch run from Ortiz and Golden Tempo. DeVaux's win is a landmark moment in horse racing, a sport long dominated by male trainers.
- ▪Cherie DeVaux is the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner and only the second woman to train a Triple Crown race winner.
- ▪Jose Ortiz won the Kentucky Derby for the first time in 11 attempts, one day after winning the Kentucky Oaks.
- ▪Golden Tempo started at the back of the pack and surged forward in the final stretch to claim victory at Churchill Downs.
- ▪The race featured 18 horses after Great White was scratched due to flipping and throwing his jockey.
- ▪DeVaux won the Derby in her first attempt, eight years after launching her own stable.
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By Adeola AdeosunWeekend Night EditorShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Golden Tempo, a 23-1 long shot ridden by Jose Ortiz, charged from the back of the pack to win the 2026 Kentucky Derby on Saturday — and made his trainer Cherie DeVaux the first woman ever to saddle the winner of the opening leg of the Triple Crown. The 1 1/8-mile race at Churchill Downs ended with Renegade in second place, ridden by Jose Ortiz's brother Irad Ortiz Jr., and long shot Ocelli in third.
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