- Golden Tempo placed a close third in the Louisiana Derby after trainer Cherie DeVaux added blinkers, noticeably improving his stretch run.
- DeVaux is making her Kentucky Derby debut as a trainer with ownership from the prestigious Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable.
- Veteran jockey Jose Ortiz, a consistent top-five rider nationally, holds the mount for Churchill Downs on May 2.
- The Lecomte Stakes winner’s best Beyer Speed Figure of 88 is below the field’s top horses but has been trending in the right direction.
- At approximately 18-35-1 on legal Kentucky Derby betting sites like Bovada and BetOnline, Golden Tempo is a longer-priced option worth watching in exotics.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cherie DeVaux is about to experience one of the most memorable weeks of her training career.
The conditioner, who trains a select and talented group of horses for top-shelf ownership groups including Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, will send out her first Kentucky Derby starter when Golden Tempo breaks from the gate at Churchill Downs on May 2.
Golden Tempo has taken a methodical path to the Derby. He won the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds in January, then ran a respectable third — with blinkers added to his equipment — in the Louisiana Derby on March 21. The blinker addition appeared to help: he made a more sustained run in the stretch than he had in the Risen Star, suggesting that the equipment change and DeVaux’s patient management of his development are working in tandem.
Jose Ortiz, a versatile and accomplished rider who regularly finishes among the national leaders in wins and earnings, handles the mount. Ortiz has experience at Churchill Downs and knows how to rate a horse in a large field, two qualities that will serve Golden Tempo well in a packed Derby starting gate.
The honest assessment is that Golden Tempo’s best Beyer of 88 sits below what the clear favorites bring. He will need to take a meaningful step forward on Derby Day to be truly competitive with Renegade, the Brad Cox trio, or The Puma. But improvement from start to start is exactly what DeVaux has coaxed out of this horse throughout the spring, and if a contested pace allows him to move through the field quietly, a position in the frame is not out of the question.
Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable are among the most respected ownership groups in American racing, with decades of contributions to the sport at the highest level. They do not enter horses in the Kentucky Derby simply for the experience.
At approximately 18-35-1 on legal Kentucky Derby betting sites like Bovada and BetOnline, Golden Tempo is priced as a speculative play whose value lies in exotics rather than straight win tickets. A trainer making her Derby debut, ownership with pride on the line, and a horse who has been quietly improving — that combination is worth including on a wide ticket on the first Saturday in May.
<em>Odds sourced from Caesars Sportsbook and Daily Racing Form as of April 20-21, 2026. Post positions not yet assigned; draw scheduled April 25.</em>
Must be 18 or older. Terms apply.
Gambling should be fun. If it stops being fun, free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit our responsible gambling page for self-exclusion options.