Golden Tempo claims 152nd Kentucky Derby; Cherie DeVaux makes history as first female trainer to win

With the Kentucky Derby in her pocket, could Cherie DeVaux now try to be the first woman to win the Triple Crown? She didn’t commit to running Golden Tempo in the Preakness on May 16, saying she would see how the horse responded before making a decision.

Ultimately, the Kentucky Derby was about DeVaux cementing her own legacy in the sport.

“Being a woman or my gender has never really crossed my mind in this,” DeVaux said in her victory press conference. “The thing that really has become apparent to me is not everyone has the same constitution I have mentally. It really is an honor to be that person for other women or other little girls to look up to.

“You can dream big and you can pivot, you can come from one place and make yourself a part of history.”

On Friday night, on the eve of the Derby, Churchill Downs runs the Kentucky Oaks, a race of the best 3-year-old fillies. This year, Always a Runner won the Oaks and was jockeyed by Jose Ortiz. A day later, Ortiz also won the Derby, riding Golden Tempo.

Michael Reaves / Getty Images

“To get the double is very hard," Ortiz said on the broadcast after. He added that the other jockeys "were joking inside the room today that 10 guys had done it, it’s not impossible. I’m just very happy.”

Here are the final results from the Kentucky Derby.

Win: Golden Tempo (23-1 odds)

Place: Renegade (5-1)

Show: Ocelli (70-1)

Exacta: Golden Tempo, Renegade

Trifecta: Golden Tempo, Renegade, Ocelli

A $2 bet on Golden Temple to win would result in winnings of $48.24, and a $2 exacta bet on this result would have won $278.86. A $1 bet on this trifecta would have won $11,250.78.

Down the stretch of the Kentucky Derby, Jose Ortiz, the jockey of Golden Tempo, outdueled his brother, Irad Ortiz Jr., who was riding Renegade. Golden Tempo finished first, and Renegade second.

Michael Reaves / Getty Images

"I want him to win the Derby, of course," Jose said on the broadcast after. "I know it's his dream as well. But it happened that way. I think he should be happy. His horse ran a very good race. He's a very nice horse."

But, he added, "Today's my day and Golden Tempo's day."

Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux was nearly speechless after her Kentucky Derby win.

“I’m glad I can be representative of women everywhere," DeVaux said in a postrace interview on the broadcast. "We can do anything we set our minds to."

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With Golden Tempo’s Kentucky Derby win, Cherie DeVaux has become the first woman to train the winning horse in the Run for the Roses.

Golden Tempo entered with 23-1 odds to win.

Jeff Roberson / AP

The 152nd Kentucky Derby has begun.

As Great White was on his way to the starting gate, the horse bucked up and flipped over and has now been scratched from the race. Jockey Alex Achard was tossed from the horse and was seen walking around the track.

We're moments away from the start of the race. Turn on NBC/Peacock! Once the race starts, it’ll be over in about 2 minutes.

The attendance record was set in 2015, when 170,513 people attended the race.

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The purse for this year’s Kentucky Derby is $5 million.

Here’s the breakdown of how the money will be split up:

First place: $3.1 million

Second place: $1 million

Third place: $500,000

Fourth place: $250,000

Fifth place: $150,000

Once again, tens of thousands flocked to Churchill Downs dressed to the nines to partake in one of the grandest spectacles in sport — and perhaps travel back in time.

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Read more here.

Mike Repole hasn’t had the best luck at the Kentucky Derby, but can Renegade get him the Kentucky Derby win he wants?

The horses are making their way toward the starting gates, as we are nearly 15 minutes away from the start of the 152nd Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is a race of 3-year-old horses, but one of the biggest winners Saturday could be a horse that is 21.

Into Mischief, born in 2005, didn't author an outrageous racing résumé, with three wins in six starts, and career earnings of less than $600,000. (The Derby winner today will earn $3.1 million.) Yet as a sire, Into Mischief has been nearly peerless as producing future champions, including a record-tying three future Kentucky Derby winners: Authentic (2020), Mandaloun (2021) and Sovereignty (2025).

In today's Kentucky Derby, there are three Into Mischief offspring in contention: Renegade, Potente and Commandment.

Steve Kornacki plays teacher to a classroom of 3-year-olds for a fun introduction to the Kentucky Derby ahead of the 152nd edition of the race at Churchill Downs.

About 30 minutes from post time, NBC’s Steve Kornacki picked Potente to win the Kentucky Derby.

Trained by the legendary Bob Baffert — whose horses have won the Derby six times — Potente currently has 18-1 odds to win.

While D. Wayne Lukas’ death leaves a void at Churchill Downs, the trainers that competed against him still feel his presence at the historic track.

Trainer Doug O'Neill was the trainer for Nyquist during its run to victory in the 2016 Derby. A decade later, O'Neill has two horses in this field in Pavlovian and Robusta.

Steve Kornacki examines the also-eligibles that made the 152nd Kentucky Derby field and what history tells us about how they may perform.

Drew Dinsick chooses five winners from Derby day in his Kentucky Derby Pick 5, which could net a big payout for bettors if it hits.

Mark Glatt’s first Kentucky Derby is bittersweet after the death of his wife, Dena, but the trainer of So Happy is doing what he can to enjoy it.

Daisuke Takayanagi trainee T O Elvis thrills the crowd with an impressive victory in the Churchill Downs Stakes.

From race debutants to others with decades of Derby experience, the jockeys in this year's race run the spectrum.

Mike Smith, 59, is the undisputed elder statesman with 28 previous rides in the Derby, including wins in 2005 on Giacomo and 2018 on Justify. He'll try to make it three wins while riding So Happy on Saturday in his record 29th Derby ride.

Jockey Mike Smith at Churchill Downs in 2022.  Jamie Squire / Getty Images file

On Further Ado is 54-year-old John Velazquez in his 27th Derby ride. He has won in 2011 with Animal Kingdom, 2017 with Always Dreaming and 2020 with Authentic.

Then there are riders marking their first Derby races including Juan Hernandez, 34, on Potente, and 43-year-old Edwin Maldonado on Pavlovian. The race was about to feature 20-year-old Christopher Elliott in his first Derby, but his horse, Right to Party, was later scratched.

Flavien Prat, the jockey of Emerging Market, has earned the award for top jockey two years running, but Irad Ortiz, riding Derby favorite Renegade, has won the same award five times in the last eight years.

Experience used to be a good indicator of Kentucky Derby success, but Steve Kornacki sees a trend of more lightly raced horses at the Run for the Roses.

WNBA legend Sue Bird heads to Churchill Downs for the 152nd Kentucky Derby. Bird chats with Rebecca Lowe about the WNBA returning to NBC and her pick for this year's big race.

Michael McCarthy trainee Stark Contrast turns on the afterburners in the final stretch to secure the victory at Churchill Downs.

Past and potentially future Olympians pick their Kentucky Derby winners.

Bob Baffert’s trainee showed his quality with a final-stretch surge to win the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs.

John Fanta runs into the self-proclaimed "mayor" of the infield at Churchill Downs to judge his outfit and what he does at the Kentucky Derby.

After giving her best on the track and on the mic, NBC sends off Donna Brothers in style after over two decades of horse racing coverage.

In partnership with Woodford Reserve, Churchill Downs is selling mint juleps that range from $2,000 to $5,000.

Why the high cost? The cups themselves are handcrafted by a local jeweler. Only 152 cups were made — half made of polished pewter, and the other half made of gold-plated sterling silver.

Success in horse racing can lead to careers spanning decades. Just look at past trainers such as D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, or jockeys like 59-year-old Mike Smith.

That's true in the case of So Happy, as well. The horse was bred by Leverett Miller, 94, and is trained by Mark Glatt, who will be making his Derby debut this year at the age of 53.

So Happy on the track at Churchill Downs earlier this week. Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Though raised in a family that had found success raising and racing horses — his uncle, C.V. Miller, was a highly successful breeder and owner — Miller started his career as an architect, working for the architect who designed the United Nations and Lincoln Center in New York. Miller reportedly helped design the Metropolitan Opera House before later going into the family business of horses and building his own breeding business along with his wife, Linda, while based in Florida.

New York Giants quarterback takes in the Kentucky Derby with his family and makes his pick for the Run for the Roses.

Only six horses bred in Japan have ever run the Kentucky Derby — and none has won — but this year brings a seventh entrant in Wonder Dean. It will attempt to become the first horse bred outside the U.S. to win since 1959.

There will be another Japanese-based horse, as well, in Danon Bourbon. Though Bourbon was born in Kentucky, it has run all three of its career races in Japan.

Danon Bourbon training at Churchill Downs in April. Andy Lyons / Getty Images

Kate Hunter, a representative for Japanese horses at Churchill Downs, told the Lexington Herald-Leader this week that she badly wants a horse from Japan to finally win.

"My goal in life is to be some American trainer’s worst nightmare. So, to bring over a Japanese horse that’s going to ruin Kentucky Derby day," Hunter said. "So I apologize in advance for bringing over the Japanese."

The betting favorite has not won the Kentucky Derby since 2018, when Justify won the race and eventually the Triple Crown.

As of now, Renegade is the favorite, with 5-1 odds. So Happy, Commandment and Further Ado are on his heels, though, coming in at 6-1, 7-1 and 7-1, respectively.

Those odds could change as we get closer to post time. If you’re looking for a slightly riskier bet, Chief Wallabee is lurking at 9-1.

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Leandro Lozada / AFP via Getty Images

Albert Cesare / USA Today Network via Imagn Images

The glamourous parade has begun. Attendees arrive at at Churchill Downs wearing Derby hats ahead of the race.

Check out this NBC Kentucky Derby intro, narrated by the actor Thomas Haden Church, who famously starred in the 2004 movie "Sideways." (His character probably would've loved a mint julep on a day like today.)

As Church says, billionaires, titans, royals, celebrities have all tried to get into the winner's circle, but "it's the one place here you can't buy your way into."

With six Derby wins to his name, the legendary trainer Bob Baffert is tied for the most all time with Ben Jones, whose victories came between 1938-1952.

Baffert's wins came in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018 and 2020.

Todd Pletcher's 62 starts are the most by a trainer at the Derby, but he has two wins, in 2010 and 2017. If the Pletcher-trained Renegade, the Derby favorite, wins Saturday, it will vault Pletcher into an exclusive club. Only six trainers all time have three or more Derby titles; he would be the seventh.

Of all the horses in today's Derby, Pavlovian enters with the most racing experience, with 10 starts. That's eight more than the horses with the fewest starts, Pavlovian and Emerging Market.

History suggests winning a race this early into a racing career is a long shot. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby in only its third start came in 1883, according to the Derby. Still, in one of Emerging Market's two starts, he beat fellow Derby entrant Pavlovian by a head at the Louisiana Derby.

You might not know the owner of Derby favorite Renegade, Mike Repole, by name, but you likely know the companies he's helped build such as Glaceau water, the sports drink BodyArmor and athletic apparel company NOBULL. The money earned from those ventures has made Repole a major player in horse racing, where he owns a stable that has consistently produced Triple Crown contenders.

Repole didn't get into horse racing to keep the status quo. He has become known for being outspoken, and in a meeting with reporters this week at Churchill Downs, he described his concerns with the dwindling annual number of foals and what he called a too-insular culture among horse racing's power brokers.

"This game is not as bad as I’m telling you," Repole told reporters, per WDRB. "It’s worse than I’m telling you. It’s a house of cards right now."

NBC Sports’ John Fanta organized his own little fashion show at the track.

For the first time in his 30-year career, horse trainer Mark Glatt will have a horse, So Happy, run for the roses at the 2026 Kentucky Derby. It's a dream that is bittersweet for Glatt after his wife of 25 years died suddenly of heart failure. Now, he carries her with him as the big race approaches.

Horse trainer honors late wife with first Kentucky Derby run

02:47

Since Churchill Downs began using a starting gate in 1930, every starting post has produced at least one winner, except one — Post No. 17.

This year, Further Ado will be running from that slot after three scratches shuffled post positions.

Further Ado runs on the track during morning training for the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 30. Andy Lyons / Getty Images

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Post 17's futility is Post No. 5, which has produced 10 winners and eight runners-up.

NBC’s Steve Kornacki joins "TODAY’s" Dylan Dreyer at Churchill Downs with which horses to watch out for in this year’s race. He shares the statistics for favorited horse Renegade, highlights three horses coming from the Florida Derby with big chances, and points to Bob Baffert's best horse this year, Potente, as another potential winner.

Whether you’re stepping out at Churchill Downs or betting on horses from home, the Kentucky Derby is coming up, so "TODAY" style correspondent Zanna Roberts Rassi stops by Studio 1A to share a roundup of top style trends for this year’s festivities. Trends include Kennedy-inspired style, chocolate brown paired with florals, and bold color blocking.

Get off to the races with these chic Kentucky Derby styles

02:54

Cookbook author and recipe developer Caroline Chambers joins "TODAY" to share festive snacks and cocktails that are perfect to serve at your Kentucky Derby watch party. She shows how to make salt and vinegar deviled eggs, Kentucky hot brown sliders and a mint julep cocktail.

Bring the Kentucky Derby to your home with these recipes

06:23

Commandment has an impressive resume, with four wins in five starts and a career earnings north of $1 million. Those four victories have all come in a row, including wins at the Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28 and the Florida Derby on March 28 — edging fellow Derby horse The Puma in a photo finish.

That's notable because last year's Kentucky Derby winner, Sovereignty, also won both of those races before going on to enter the winner's circle at Churchill Downs.

Trained by the legendary trainer Bob Baffert, Litmus Test has championship pedigree, as its father won the Breeders' Cup and was once named the horse of the year. Litmus Test then won its first race at Del Mar. But to get the best out of the horse, it still needs help. To wit: After struggling during a race in Arkansas in Litmus Test's first time racing without blinders, Baffert has elected to put the blinders back on for Saturday's Derby.

Renegade trains on the track during morning workouts ahead of the running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 1. Alex Slitz / Getty Images

A horse hasn't won the Kentucky Derby from the first post, closest to the rail, since 1986, but that hasn't kept oddsmakers from believing in Renegade as a 4-1 favorite. The horse has won both its starts in 2026 and is clearly well regarded, as jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. reportedly chose to ride Renegade over other Derby entrants Further Ado and Commandment.

Running out of the second post, Albus will try to win one month after claiming the Wood Memorial Grade 2 race at the Aqueduct in New York.

Trainer Bill Mott has been a mainstay at the Kentucky Derby for years while training past winners Country House in 2019 and Sovereignty in 2025.

Mott is back this year with Chief Wallabee, but there's another Mott in the field, as well — his son, Riley. Riley Mott, 34, is making his Kentucky Derby debut as a trainer with Albus and Incredibolt.

"This has been my passion my entire life," Riley Mott said recently. "Just to reach this stage and be in the mix is a very big deal for our stable and for myself personally."

Horses that tend to win at the Kentucky Derby are some of the fastest in the field. An analysis by one racing outlet found that 20 of the last 26 cashable winners of the race owned a Brisnet Speed Rating — one longtime measure of a horse's speed — above 100.

This year, Further Ado has the highest top-end speed of any horse in the field, according to both the Beyer Speed Figures (106) and Brisnet Speed Ratings (105), and also owned elite closing speed.

Steve Kornacki joins "Fantasy Football Happy Hour" to discuss his insights on the horses in the Kentucky Derby, and Matthew Berry gives a reason to roll with The Puma.

Since 1875, when the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes all began running annually, a horse has won all three races just 13 times. The winner of today's Kentucky Derby will claim the first leg of the Triple Crown and attempt to become the 14th horse to put its name in history. The previous winners include:

2018: Justify

2015: American Pharaoh

1978: Affirmed

1977: Seattle Slew

1973: Secretariat

1948: Citation

1946: Assault

1943: Count Fleet

1941: Whirlaway

1937: War Admiral

1935: Omaha

1930: Gallant Fox

1919: Sir Barton

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Puma has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby, so the 152nd edition of the race will be run Saturday with 19 horses instead of the maximum 20.

Churchill Downs officials announced The Puma was out because of a swollen leg from a skin infection. He was ruled out less than 12 hours before the 6:57 p.m. ET post time, past the deadline for Corona de Oro to draw into the field off the also-eligible list.

The horse trained by Gustavo Delgado Sr. and son Gustavo Delgado Jr. opened at odds of 10-1 and was bet down to 8-1 by Friday.

“It’s incredibly disappointing, but the swelling should go down within a day or two,” Delgado Jr. said. “It’s just really bad timing.”

The father-son training duo was looking to win its second Derby after doing so with Mage in 2023. Another father-son duo, Bill and Riley Mott, is the first to each have a horse in the race since 1964.

The Puma is the fourth scratch from the field this week, with one coming each of the past four days. Silent Tactic was ruled out Wednesday, Fulleffort on Thursday and Right to Party on Friday, with Great White, Ocelli and Robusta getting in.

Renegade remains the favorite after opening as such on the morning line a week ago. The Todd Pletcher-trained colt would be the first to win the Derby out of the inside No. 1 post position in four decades.