The 2026 Kentucky Derby was one of the most exciting in history. Because,
- one, the winning horse raced from last to first, the first time that has happened since 2009 when Mine That Bird pulled the feat;
- two, the first and second place finishers were ridden by brothers, from Puerto Rico; and
- third, the winning trainer was, for the first time in history, a woman!
But there is more, for those of us who are connected in some way to Pittsburgh.
The (part) owner of the winning horse, Golden Tempo, is Phipps Stables, begun one hundred years ago (1926) by Pittsburgh people, the Phipps family: namely, Gladys Mills Phipps. The Phipps family were part of the Steel business led by Andrew Carnegie and later, as part of their wide-ranging philanthropy, built and endowed the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh.
Their racing stable trained their horses in Lexington, at the famous Claiborne Farm, breeder of the great Secretariat (winner of the Triple Crown in 1973 and present in the blood line of every single horse running in the 2026 Derby). The Phipps stable also owned Seabiscuit, the only horse to defeat Man ‘o War, and also Bold Ruler, father of Secretariat–all of them premiere thoroughbred horses with outstanding racing success.
The Phipps stable today is led by Daisy Phipps Pulito, great granddaughter of the founder Gladys Mills Phipps. It was she who hired the trainer, Cherie DeVaux, which means from beginning to end, the operation that brought us that thrilling Run for the Roses last Saturday, was a woman’s operation: founder, owner, trainer.
One last note: This Derby was the last for legendary jockey and sport journalist Donna Brothers. It was she who, as she has for 26 years, interviewed the various personalities (jockeys, owners, trainers) prior to the race as well as the winning jockey after the race. So it was she who walked and spoke with trainer Cherie DeVaux prior to the race. Cherie said, “It is an honor [for me] that you get to do your last walkover with me.” To which Brothers responded: “I’m hoping you become the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.”
