After becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, in its 152nd running, Cherie DeVaux has found life to be “a bit overwhelming.”
That historic feat with “Golden Tempo” has generated plenty of interest and media interviews, as well as fans, including those, who will stop her in the supermarket for a selfie or tap on the glass window of a restaurant where she was seated, to give her the thumbs-up sign.
Winning the Kentucky Derby was always the “big goal” for DeVaux whose life and family is steeped in horse racing. “There are plenty of hard races to win, but everything has to go right on that day. I honestly did not have expectations of winning the race,” she said. “I was cool. I thought the horse would run really well, but I could not believe he actually won in our first trip to the Kentucky Derby.”
The 25-1 long shot Golden Tempo earned a purse of $3.1 million for what is the longest of the three Triple Crown races at 1 1/4 miles. But the thoroughbred and his jockey Jose Ortiz will be sitting out this weekend’s Preakness Stakes to rest up for the Belmont Stakes on June 6.
While DeVaux is grateful for the “very nice things” that have been sent to her, she is now working with a United Talent Agency representative to handle requests for speaking engagements and collaborations. Given her schedule, carving out time for speeches, may take some scheduling. “Training horses is number-one to me,” DeVaux said.
One of her favorite takeaways is how peers have shared their appreciation toward DeVaux for taking the time out of her busy schedule to “show our industry in a positive way, because that has been lacking in the past. Some of it is founded, and some of it is unfounded.”
DeVaux starts her days at 4:30 a.m. and calls it a night at 9 p.m. Some of her nine siblings are involved with horse racing, too. “This job is a lifestyle. My husband is in this industry, too. There are times when we won’t see each other for weeks or even a month at a time. He’s traveling one place and I’m traveling to another. But this is our life and we signed up for this together. There’s no vacation. I have started to make time around Christmas.”
Another upside has been people’s comments about how DeVaux seems like “a fun person,” based on the video that shows the 44-year-old watching the race. “I just try to be myself and stay true to who I am as person. There’s no pretentiousness,” DeVaux said. “I am very intense — that’s one thing. But when I give myself time to get away from that, like before a big race, it’s important to stay true to who I am.”
NBC Sports’ coverage of the “Run for the Roses” racked up 9.6 million viewers on NBC and Peacock — an 11 percent gain compared to last year’s Derby audience.
Given her line of work, skirts and dresses are not part of her everyday wardrobe rotation. “I don’t want to trip and show my knickers,” she said with a laugh. As her red Smythe jacket at the Kentucky Derby highlighted, she is partial to bold colors and classic styles. J.McLaughlin and J.Crew are go-to brands. Veronica Beard sent some styles to DeVaux for her trip to New York City for media interviews. The designer and trainer had teamed up before related to the Breeders’ Cup.
As for what DeVaux will sport for the Belmont Stakes, that hasn’t yet been decided. She is, however, subjecting to peer pressure and is getting a pair of customized Golden Goose shoes made. The gold ones that she wore at the Kentucky Derby will be on view at the Kentucky Derby Museum.
“I don’t have an outfit to wear. Honestly, when it comes to what we’re doing, my clothing is about the last thing that I do,” DeVaux said.
Based at Keeneland, a national historic landmark in Lexington, Ky., DeVaux works with a team of approximately 95 employees. “I am doing what I love. I love the process of training horses. The outcome is an added bonus. That’s racing fruition of your work to come to play.”
