How Kentucky Derby’s First Female Trainer Lost Thousands in Prize Money?

Cherie DeVaux recently made history at the Kentucky Derby by becoming the first female trainer to win the iconic race.

The horse she trained, Golden Tempo #19, delivered a strong performance at Churchill Downs while being guided by jockey Jose Ortiz to the win.

Meanwhile, the victory not only marked a major achievement in horse racing by breaking a long-standing gender barrier in the sport, but also led DeVaux to secure a large prize.

However, reports suggest that a significant portion of that amount will go toward taxes, reducing her final earnings.

While the world celebrates Golden Tempo’s win, which helped Cherie DeVaux make history, reports suggest that at 23-1 odds, the horse was initially seen as an underdog at the Kentucky Derby.

However, in the end, it delivered a surprise win in the 152nd running at Churchill Downs.

Following the victory, Golden Tempo earned a $3.1 million prize money from the total $5 million purse for its owners, St. Elias Stable and Phipps Stable.

Now, from that $3.1 million, 10% (which is $310,000) will go to trainer Cherie DeVaux and jockey Jose Ortiz each.

However, their final earnings are reduced due to fees and taxes.

Ortiz gives 25% of his share, which stands at $77,500, to his agent and another 5%, which is $15,500, to his valet, who helped with his equipment. This leaves the jockey with $217,000 before taxes.

But if we consider Kentucky’s 4% income tax, Ortiz pays $8,680, taking home $208,320. Similarly, even DeVaux has her own deductions, although her count remains unclear.

The only deduction on her end, that's known so far, is the 4% income tax on her $310,000 prize money, which leaves her with $297,600.

Meanwhile, following the win, trainer Cherie DeVaux appeared for an interview with Today, where she explained how Golden Tempo’s racing style helped secure victory at the Kentucky Derby held at Churchill Downs.

Reflecting on how the horse’s stamina and perseverance influenced the win, DeVaux began by calling Golden Tempo a “deep closer”.

In terms of horse racing, it means the horse stays behind the main group early in the race.

“So Golden Tempo is what we call a deep closer, so he is out the back” DeVaux shared.

“He just doesn't have a lot of speed, but he has a lot of stamina, and towards the end of the race, he does have, we call it a quick turn of foot, so he can make up a lot of ground.”

She added, “But just in the early stages, he likes to just hang out behind and let them all do the hard work, and then he can just finish up and beat them all.”

DeVaux explained how the horse’s strategy of staying back in the early stages, letting others do the hard work, helped it finish strongly to secure a win.