Golden Tempo Wins Kentucky Derby, Gives Cherie DeVaux Horse Racing First

Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby in horse racing by a photo finish, and that result made Cherie DeVaux the first female winner at the race. The colt’s roots run through Bourbon County, where local horsemen are already marking the victory as their own.

Brad Purcell remembered a horse that looked built for the sport from the start. “He was a big strong colt from the day he was born.”

Claiborne Farms raised Golden Tempo in Bourbon County during his early days, even though he is back at Keeneland now. Purcell said, “I wish I could tell you that we could tell you we knew he was going to win the Kentucky Derby yesterday.”

Purcell Sees Golden Tempo

Purcell also described a horse that did not call much attention to himself. “You hardly knew he was around.” He added, “He wasn’t a troublemaker. He was easy to handle. A bit lazy at times — but that’s fine. He performed when he needed to perform.”

The finish at the Derby backed that up. Golden Tempo came from behind to take it all, and Chris Poynter said, “Completely at the back of the pack. Completely took over. You could just see his engine kicking and kicking.”

Bourbon County Derby Wall

Bourbon County is not treating the win as just another race result. The staff at the Thoroughbred Hotel will place Golden Tempo’s name on the wall of Bourbon County Derby winners on May 16, a local nod to a horse raised in the county and now tied to one of racing’s biggest stages.

Poynter called the result “one of the most amazing wins in Derby history,” and the local tribute will make the connection visible in town. For Bourbon County, the photo finish brought home a Derby winner with familiar roots, and for DeVaux it carried the added weight of a first that will sit beside the name on that wall.