The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby produced a jaw-dropping finish as Golden Tempo came flying from last to first at 23-1, running down Renegade in the shadow of the wire at Churchill Downs.
The win wasn’t just an upset—it was history. Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, while Jose Ortiz secured his first Derby victory and completed a rare Kentucky Oaks–Kentucky Derby double in the same year.
Pace Collapse Creates Chaos
The Derby unfolded exactly how chaos players dream it up.
Six Speed blasted out to early fractions of :22.68 and :46.44, pressured throughout by So Happy and Danon Bourbon. The pace never let up, setting the table for a deep closer.
Golden Tempo sat dead last early, unhurried under Jose Ortiz, while Renegade also lagged behind the speed after a less-than-ideal start.
By the far turn, both began weaving through traffic as the leaders started to weaken.
At the top of the stretch, Danon Bourbon surged to a clear lead and appeared poised to win. Then everything unraveled.
Ocelli, at 70-1, made a shocking move to briefly take the lead at the sixteenth pole. Moments later, Renegade surged past him and appeared home free inside the final yards.
But Golden Tempo wasn’t done.
Flying down the center of the track, he surged past all of them in the shadow of the wire to win by a neck in 2:02.27 and earning a 95 Beyer.
Golden Tempo paid $48.24 to win, $19.14 to place, and $11.90 to show, while Renegade returned $7.14 and $5.46, and Ocelli completed the trifecta with a $36.34 show payout.
Kentucky Derby Payouts
19-Golden Tempo WIN: $48.24 PLACE: $19.14 SHOW: $11.90
1-Renegade PLACE: $7.14 SHOW: $5.46
22-Ocelli SHOW: $36.34
$2.00 Exacta (19-1) $278.86
$1.00 Trifecta (19-1-22) $11,250.78
$1.00 Superfecta (19-1-22-12) $94,489.95
Post-Race Comments
Cherie DeVaux (Golden Tempo) –
“He’s a dead closer and the Louisiana Derby really solidified he was getting there from the eighth pole home. If he had extra ground he was going to make it. We had to have faith in the process, faith in the horse, faith in Jose (Ortiz). That was an incredible experience. I’m so proud of this horse”
Todd Pletcher (Renegade) –
“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position. But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”
Whit Beckman (Ocelli) –
“As he was coming down the stretch and I saw him with a chance to win – my mind went blank. Then I snapped back in and saw him finish. I’m so proud of him and he showed he belongs with all these good horses.”
Bill Mott (Chief Wallabee) –
“He got jostled and he got squeezed. But he kept on coming and I’m very proud of his run.”
Jose Ortiz (Golden Tempo, winner) –
“We always knew this horse had a lot of ability. You could see early in his career we tried things because he’s a lazy horse. I knew always Golden Tempo would be my Derby mount. This is an incredible experience. I just won the Kentucky Derby.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. (Renegade, second) –
“We got squeezed at the start. We came flying late, but the winner just got the jump on me. He ran very well.”
Tyler Gaffalione (Ocelli, third) –
“He gave me a really good run and proud of his effort. We were just not able to get the job done but hats off to the winner and runner-up. They ran huge races.”
Junior Alvarado (Chief Wallabee, fourth) –
“I had a good trip, I thought I was in the position I wanted to be. I was following Further Ado, and at the eighth pole, things got a little tight and we lost a little momentum. But he ran a pretty good race, nothing to be ashamed of. He gave me what he had today.”
Jaime Torres (Incredibolt, sixth) –
“It went great, we were able to relax early and he gave me a really good run. I am very proud of him.”
Luis Saez (Commandment, seventh) –
“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place. He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”
Mike Smith (So Happy, ninth) –
“He just did too much early on and we went too fast.”
Flavien Prat (Emerging Market, 10th) –
“I didn’t watch the replay but I thought I had a decent trip. I just came up empty. I just couldn’t make any move when it was time to go. A gap did open, but at that point I just did not have enough horse to go through.”
John Velazquez (Further Ado, 11th) –
“I had a great trip. He didn’t have any fight and I didn’t have enough to fight on with.”
Juan Hernandez (Potente, 12th) –
“I had a good trip, my horse broke beautifully and I was saving ground. We were able to drop down on the first turn, and he relaxed beautifully on the backside. I honestly thought when I asked him he was really going to pick it up, but he was a little one paced from there. He tried hard; we just didn’t have it today. He’s a nice colt.”
Brian Hernandez Jr. (Six Speed, 13th) –
“We made it to the lead, and he was a little aggressive the first time under the wire, but I got him to turn off and relax a little on the backside. I think the distance was maybe just a little much for him.”
Cristian Torres (Robusta, 14th) –
“I was trying to be closer, but they were going too fast and I got caught wide into the first turn. We could not make up ground on them late. Riding in the Derby was an amazing experience that I didn’t want to end.”
Manny Franco (Albus, 15th) –
“I got squeezed out of the gate and then I stayed in the back. I was hoping then that the horses in front of me would come back and they did but my horse was just flat today.”
Martin Garcia (Litmus Test, 17th) –
“He broke good and sat behind the early pace. I had the rail open for a time but my horses just didn’t keep going. I guess he didn’t like it inside.”
Edwin Maldonado (Pavlovian, 18th) –
“He broke good. There are a few horses that got sent to the lead in front us so there was no point of us rushing up on the first turn. I just settled in fifth but he didn’t have it today. We hit the three-eighths pole and that was it.”
Betting & Handle Numbers
The business side of the sport continued to boom:
- Derby Week handle: $487 million (record)
- Derby Day handle: $340 million
- Derby race handle: $225 million
What’s Next: Preakness Outlook
With the 152nd Kentucky Derby in the books, attention turns to the Preakness Stakes—and whether Golden Tempo will take his shot at the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux made it clear a decision will depend entirely on how her colt comes out of the race.
“Obviously this race is in two weeks,” DeVaux said. “It’s a lot different than what he’s done. He’s a horse who has a lot of constitution to him. He can handle something like that. But if one day he just doesn’t look like he’s in tiptop shape, then we’ll pivot and come up with another plan.”
“He’s going to leave for Keeneland,” said DeVaux. “We’ll get him back there and assess how he’s doing. As long as he’s in tiptop shape, we’ll talk about [the Preakness]. It is on the table. But it’s really up to him.”
Several new shooters are already lining up, including unbeaten Federico Tesio winner Taj Mahal and Lexington (G3) runner-up The Hell We Did. Others under consideration for the Preakness include Cherokee Nation, Chip Honcho, Crude Velocity, Crupper, Express Kid, Great White, Iron Honor, Napoleon Solo, Ottinho, Pretty Boy Miah, Silent Tactic, Talkin and Talk to Me Jimmy.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse also provided an update on Silent Tactic, who was scratched from the Derby but remains under consideration for the Preakness. “He’s actually great,” Casse said. “I want to see how he trains for a couple of days. If we’re happy with his foot, we’ll probably breeze him mid-week and then make a decision. Right now his foot is perfect — of course.”
Final Take
The 152nd Kentucky Derby wasn’t just about a 23-1 upset—it delivered one of the most powerful storylines the sport has seen in years.
Cherie DeVaux didn’t just win the Derby—she made history, becoming the first female trainer to ever capture the Run for the Roses. In a sport built on tradition, that moment hits different. And she didn’t do it with a chalk—she did it with a deep closer, trusting the setup and executing to perfection.
Then came the finish… and the family showdown.
Jose Ortiz vs. Irad Ortiz Jr.—both chasing their first Kentucky Derby win.
Irad made the first move, putting Renegade in front late and looking like he was finally going to get it done. But Jose had one last run left. In the final strides, he surged past his own brother to win his first Kentucky Derby, denying Irad his at the wire.
Two brothers. Both searching for their first Derby win. One unforgettable finish.
That’s what makes this race different.
