“I don’t even have any words right now, I just can’t,” an emotional DeVaux told broadcaster NBC as she made her way toward the winner’s circle.
“I’m just so, so happy for Golden Tempo.”
Jockey Jose Ortiz guided Golden Tempo’s late surge and held off his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard early favorite Renegade, to seize his first Kentucky Derby victory in his 11th start.
Renegade finished second by a neck and Ocelli, a 70-1 shot who was a late addition to the field after multiple scratches, was third.
“Jose did a wonderful job, masterful job of getting him there,” DeVaux said.
“He was so far out of it. He has had so much faith in this horse.”
DeVaux is just the second female trainer to saddle a winner in any of US flat racing’s Triple Crown races after Jena Antonucci with Arcangelo in the 2023 Belmont Stakes.
She won the Derby in her first opportunity.
“I’m glad I can be representative of women everywhere,” she said. “We can do anything we set our minds to.”
The start of the race was delayed slightly when Great White reared and flipped on his side going into the starting gate.
He was the second race-day scratch in the US$5 million, 1 1/4-mile race, which originally was set for a field of 20 but went off with 18 runners.
