Golden Tempo Pulls Off Gorgeous 23-1 Upset at 2026 Kentucky Derby

[ad_1] Golden Tempo, a 23-1 lengthy shot ridden by Jose Ortiz, charged from the again of the pack to win the 2026 Kentucky Derby on Saturday — and made his coach Cherie DeVaux the primary girl 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 lengthy shot Ocelli in third.

The win marked some of the stunning finishes in latest Derby historical past and a historic second for girls in horse racing.

Why It Issues DeVaux's victory is the second time a girl has skilled a Triple Crown race winner — Jena Antonucci was the primary, with Arcangelo on the 2023 Belmont Stakes. However the Kentucky Derby is the most-watched race of the Triple Crown and some of the outstanding sporting occasions in america, making DeVaux's win a landmark second in a sport that has traditionally been dominated by male trainers. She is simply the 18th girl to saddle a horse within the Kentucky Derby, and she or he gained it on her first try, eight years after beginning her personal secure.

<img id="11907271" alt="" caption="Trainer Cherie DeVaux kisses the trophy after a victory by Golden Tempo in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="3387" height="2258" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26123000296858.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> The Race Golden Tempo sat in the back of the pack early earlier than Ortiz piloted him by means of site visitors and down the stretch to overhaul the leaders. The win got here a little bit underneath 24 hours after Ortiz additionally gained the Kentucky Oaks — the highest race for 3-year-old fillies — making for a dominant weekend for the jockey at Churchill Downs.

It was Ortiz's first Kentucky Derby victory in 11 makes an attempt.

The race went on with simply 18 horses after Nice White was a late scratch for flipping and throwing his jockey. Observe veterinarians made the decision to scratch the lengthy shot, who had gotten into the sphere Wednesday after Silent Tactic was dominated out for a foot harm.

DeVaux Reacts DeVaux, visibly emotional after the race, mentioned she struggled to seek out phrases for the second.

"I do not even have any phrases proper now," DeVaux mentioned. "I simply can't. Simply so, so so completely happy for Golden Tempo. Jose did a beautiful job, a masterful job of getting him there. He was up to now out of it."

Within the days main as much as the race, DeVaux had shifted from downplaying the potential significance of turning into the primary girl to coach a Derby winner to acknowledging she can be a task mannequin for women contemplating careers within the sport.

"I am glad I generally is a consultant of all girls in all places that we will do something we set our minds to," DeVaux mentioned after the win.

<img id="11907300" alt="" caption="Jockey Jose L. Ortiz celebrates after riding Golden Tempo to victory in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="8640" height="5760" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122858819862.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> <img id="11907270" alt="" caption="Golden Tempo (19) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)" credit="" sourcealt="" sources="[]" fetchpriority="auto" loading="lazy" width="5298" height="3532" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent;aspect-ratio:inherit;object-fit:cover" sizes="(min-width: 1200px) 1536px, (min-width: 768px) 768px, 100vw" srcset="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=640&quality=80&webp=1 640w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=750&quality=80&webp=1 750w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=1000&quality=80&webp=1 1000w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=1200&quality=80&webp=1 1200w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=1360&quality=80&webp=1 1360w, https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1 1600w" src="https://assets.newsweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AP26122841716522.jpg?w=1600&quality=80&webp=1"/> What Occurs Subsequent Consideration now turns to the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, on Could 16 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Golden Tempo's connections might want to resolve whether or not to enter the colt in pursuit of a Triple Crown bid — a feat final achieved by Justify in 2018.