Golden Tempo gave notice last week at Keeneland that he’s in fine form heading into the Kentucky Derby (G1) with a bullet 4-furlong, 47.00-second workout under regular Jose Ortiz.
“It went really well and that was his last major work,’’ trainer Cherie DeVaux said.
Good news for longshot lovers as Golden Tempo could go off at odds in the 30-1 range. Note that his road to the Derby comes through the Fair Grounds, where he’s won 2-of-4, a maiden and the Lecomte Stakes (G3) before finishing third in the Risen Star Stakes (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2). For DeVaux, establishing herself as one of the nation’s top trainers, this will be her first Derby starter.
His last-to-first dash in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at the Fair Grounds in January put this son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin on the Derby trail. The bay colt followed up with a third-place finish in the Risen Star, and then a closing third (behind Emerging Market and Pavlovian) in the Louisiana Derby, beaten by just one length,
He’s had three solid workouts at Keeneland, and DeVaux says there’s a light breeze coming this week before he’s shipped to Louisville.
A homebred owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables, Golden Tempo has competed against several Derby rivals, including a win over Chip Honcho. However, he has yet to break through despite a solid closing run.
The extra distance of the Derby, contested at 1 ¼ miles, may turn out to be a help if the speed slows down when the field hits the stretch.
It doesn’t happen often, but Cherie DeVaux will try to win the Derby with her first starter in the race. It happened in 2022, when Eric Reed won with Rich Strike, a horse who got into the race at the last minute after the scratch of another horse and pulled off a stunner at 80-1.
Golden Tempo will be in good hands with Jose Ortiz, who rides in his 11th Derby but is looking for his first win in the Run for the Roses.
Golden Tempo comes in with an Equibase rating of 91, tied with eight others for the third lowest figure. His top Equibase speed figure is 95 from the Louisiana Derby.
Golden Tempo will likely start near the back of the huge field, and try to work his way into contention as the field turns for home. He’ll have plenty of company trying to do the same thing, and whether he can rise up to the challenge is questionable. A top five finish is possible, but hard to imagine. Plus, a first-time trainer in the Derby and a seasoned rider who’s 0-for-10 seems like too much to overcome.
- Cherie DeVaux would be the 18th female trainer to send out a Kentucky Derby starter. Shelly Riley-trained Casual Lies had the best finish – second to Lil E. Tee in 1992; Kathy Ritvo-trained Mucho Macho Man was third behind Animal Kingdom and Nero in 2011 and Imperialism was third for Kristin Mulhall in 2004.
- DeVaux trained She Feels Pretty, a five-time Grade 1 winner who won the 2025 Eclipse Award as champion female turf horse. The 5-year-old mare was retired in March with a stellar record of eight wins, three seconds and two thirds in 13 starts for earnings of more than $2.5 million.
- Jose Ortiz is 0-for-10 in the Derby with his best finish a second with Good Magic in 2018.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
