Jose Ortiz Wins 2026 Kentucky Derby on Golden Tempo
jose ortiz won the 2026 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2, 2026, riding Golden Tempo through a late charge from near the back of the pack. The victory gave Cherie Devaux the first Kentucky Derby win by a woman trainer and beat Renegade, the race’s major favorite, by a very small margin.
Golden Tempo Catches Renegade
Golden Tempo was still near the back of the pack at the final turn, then finished fast enough to get past Renegade at the wire. The margin was small, but the result was clear: Ortiz and Golden Tempo handled the Derby’s final stretch better than the horse expected to set the pace for the rest of the field.
That finish turned the 152nd Kentucky Derby into a race decided late, not one controlled by the pre-race favorite. Renegade went in as the major favorite, with Commandment and Further Ado also listed among the pre-race favorites, but Golden Tempo found the decisive move when the field tightened.
Cherie Devaux Makes History
Devaux trained the winner, and the result moved her into a place no woman trainer had reached before in the Kentucky Derby. Ortiz also added the Derby to a rare single-day double after winning the Kentucky Oaks aboard Always a Runner earlier in the card.
After the race, Ortiz called the win a dream come true and dedicated it to his parents, adding that he wished his grandfather had been there and believed he would be happy in heaven. He also said winning the double was very difficult, a fair description of a day when he had to deliver twice at Churchill Downs.
He spoke directly to young Boricuas after the race, telling them to have attitude, learn English, learn something every day, work hard, be responsible, and respect people. For Ortiz, the Derby winner’s circle came with a message as direct as his ride: talent helped, but discipline carried the day.
Ortiz’s Derby Double
Sovereignty won the 2025 Kentucky Derby with Junior Alvarado riding, and Ortiz returned to the Derby one year later to take the next edition with Golden Tempo. The contrast between those two finishes is the race’s sharpest detail: one year after watching another horse lift the roses, Ortiz produced a late run that delivered the 152nd Derby on May 2, 2026.
For the record books, the headline is simple. Ortiz won the Kentucky Derby, Golden Tempo beat Renegade by a very small margin, and Devaux became the first woman trainer to win the race. For anyone tracking the horse racing season, the day belongs to a rider who handled the pressure of the biggest stage and came away with the result that counts.
