Golden Tempo. Ridden by Jose Ortiz and trained by Cherie DeVaux, claimed victory in the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 2, with a winning time of 2:02.27. The 3-year-old colt. Sired by Curlin, was bred in Kentucky and co-owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable. The win marked a historic moment. As DeVaux became the first woman to train a Derby winner.

Winning Odds and Payouts

Golden Tempo went off at 23-1 odds and delivered significant payouts for bettors; Based on a $2 bet, the payouts were as follows:

  • Win: $48.24
  • Place: $19.14
  • Show: $11.90

The exacta (Golden Tempo and Renegade) returned $278.86 for a $2 bet, while the trifecta (Golden Tempo, Renegade, and Ocelli) paid $5,625.39 for a $0.50 bet. The superfecta (Golden Tempo. Renegade, Ocelli, and Chief Wallabee) returned $94,489.95 for a $1 bet.

Post-Race Scratches and Payout Highlights

Five horses were scratched from the 2026 Kentucky Derby lineup before the race. Among them were The Puma, Right to Party, Silent Tactic, Fulleffort, and Corona de Oro. Also, Great White was scratched at the last minute after flipping over in the paddock, according to FOX 32 Chicago.

Renegade, the second-place finisher, won $1 million in prize money, while Ocelli received $500,000 for finishing third. So Happy, the pre-race favorite at 5-1 odds, finished fourth in the race.

Kentucky Oaks Precedes Derby Action

On Friday, Always A Runner won the 2026 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, delivering a $13.04 win payout for a $2 bet. The Gun Runner filly, trained by Chad Brown and owned by Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm, came into the race at 10-1 odds and broke from Post 9 to win. Meaning finished second, and Counting Stars placed third. The race featured a $1,845.74 superfecta payout and a $7,493.29 Super High Five payout, according to Bleacher Nation.

Cherie DeVaux, who trained Golden Tempo, became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner and the second woman to win a Triple Crown race overall. “I’m glad I can be representative of women everywhere,” DeVaux said in an interview with NBC after the race. “We can do anything we set our minds to.”

Golden Tempo’s win and the Kentucky Oaks results set the stage for the upcoming 2026 Triple Crown races. With Sovereignty, the 2025 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner, set to return in 2026, the next year promises to be a significant one for American horse racing.