Derby Day 2026

 

I arrived home earlier than anticipated, just in time to watch the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. I was not there at Churchill downs and have never been there on the first Saturday in May. But my nephew (among other friends) was in attendance, and he somehow caught the attention of photographers, and that is how his picture (above) ended up in the Sunday edition of the Courier-Journal (which happened to me once, many years ago, when I was ice-skating with my wife, but that is another story). The Derby is my story this week, and what a Derby it was. Winning horse Golden Tempo was a 23-1 bet when the gates opened with the familiar, “And they’re off … in the Kentucky Derby.” He was in last place the entire race until “the far turn” as they say, meaning the beginning of the last wide curve before the stretch run to the finish line. At that point, the horse began his move, slowing moving from last to first, finishing just a foot or two in front of the most favored Renegade (ridden, can you believe it, by his brother!). From last to first is quite a story, one that will find its way into many motivational speeches and sermons. It was not the top story of the day, though. For the first time in 152 years of Derby racing, the winning trainer is a woman!  Yes, a woman! The best videos of the entire race captured Cherie DeVaus and a bevy of females caught up in the unexpected joy of a last second victory. Which leads me to this: in a time when powerful men are baring women from pulpits, banning women from military command, and even asserting that women should not even be allowed to vote, it is inspirational to celebrate with Cherie DeVaus. I do not know who wrote the following, but it is worth sharing with you: “She didn’t grow up with a silver trophy. She grew up with hay in her hair.  Cherie DeVaux started her career at the bottom — an exercise rider at the storied tracks of Saratoga Springs, New York, learning every lesson the hard way, in the early mornings before the world woke up. Barn by barn. Horse by horse. Year by year. For two decades, she worked under other people’s names. She groomed champions for someone else’s glory. Then in 2018, after a quiet conversation with her now-husband, she made a decision that would change everything: she got her trainer’s license and bet on herself.  She didn’t know if it would work. She gave herself three years to find out. Eleven months later, she won her first race. Then came May 2, 2026 — Churchill Downs. 150,000 people. 18 horses. 152 years of history. Golden Tempo broke slowly. Dead last. The crowd’s eyes were on the favorites.  But at the top of the stretch, something happened. Jockey Jose Ortiz — threading through traffic, finding gaps that didn’t exist — began to move. And Golden Tempo, a 23-1 longshot written off before the gates even opened, began to fly. By the time the crowd understood what they were seeing, it was over.  First place. History made. Cherie DeVaux — 44 years old, tears barely held back — stood in the winner’s circle and said what so many women across the world needed to hear: “I’m glad I can be a representative of all women everywhere — we can do anything we set our minds to.” 152 years. 152 Kentucky Derbies. And it took a woman who started in the stalls, believed when no one else did, and never — not once — stopped.  Some finish lines aren’t just about the horse.” Amen. You go girl!   BUT THERE’S MORE! See www.themeetinghouse.net/derby2