Golden Tempo turned Kentucky Derby 2026 into pure chaos in the best way. The 23‑1 long shot went from last place to first at Churchill Downs on Saturday, winning the 152nd Run for the Roses in a furious stretch drive. The upset made trainer Cherie DeVaux the first woman ever to win a Kentucky Derby, and gave jockey Jose Ortiz his long‑awaited first victory in America’s most famous horse race.
Golden Tempo stopped the clock in 2:02.27 for the 1¼ miles and paid about $48 to win, delivering big returns to bettors who believed in his deep‑closing style. Behind him, favorite Renegade had to settle for second, while 70‑1 bomb Ocelli stormed in for third and completed a trifecta that blew up the betting pools.
Official Kentucky Derby 2026 results and odds
The full order of finish featured some huge prices throughout the top spots:
- Golden Tempo (23‑1)
- Renegade (5‑1)
- Ocelli (70‑1)
- Chief Wallabee (7‑1)
- Danon Bourbon (14‑1)
- Incredibolt (27-1)
- Further Ado (9-1
Exotic payouts reflected the shock result. Early charts showed:
- Win: Golden Tempo paid roughly $48 on a $2 bet.
- Exacta (Golden Tempo – Renegade) returned a healthy price.
- Trifecta (Golden Tempo – Renegade – Ocelli) and superfecta (adding Chief Wallabee) produced four‑figure payouts at many books.
Fans can see full charts, including exact payouts for each bet type, on sites like USA TODAY’s Derby results and Action Network’s finish order and exotics breakdown.
How Golden Tempo’s win unfolded
The race itself was messy from the start. Moments before the Derby, hyped gray contender Great White dumped his rider and was scratched, forcing an 11‑minute delay as the rest of the field reloaded. Once the gates opened, Six Speed blasted to the lead and tried to stretch the field early, with Renegade sitting just behind in a perfect stalking spot.
Golden Tempo, on the other hand, broke slowly and dropped to the back of the 18‑horse field. For much of the backstretch, he looked like an afterthought. However, Ortiz never panicked. Around the far turn, he angled Golden Tempo to the outside and finally asked for more. The colt responded with a powerful move, passing tired runners and moving into mid‑pack as they straightened for home.
Down the Churchill Downs stretch, the race turned into a duel. Renegade struck the front and looked headed to victory. Then Golden Tempo came flying on the far outside. Stride by stride, he closed the gap, and the two colts hooked up in deep stretch. In the final jumps, Golden Tempo edged ahead to win by a narrow margin and lock in his place in Derby history.
Cherie DeVaux’s historic breakthrough
Golden Tempo’s win broke more than betting tickets. It broke a barrier that had stood for more than 150 years. DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, and only the second woman to win any Triple Crown race, following Jena Antonucci’s Belmont Stakes victory with Arcangelo in 2023.
DeVaux, a former assistant who built her own stable over the past decade, spoke about betting on herself and trusting her team in the days leading up to the race. In an interview after the Derby, she said she sees herself as a trainer first who “just happens to be female,” but acknowledged how big the moment is for women across the sport.
Ortiz also checked off a career milestone. He is a multiple‑time Eclipse Award‑winning rider, but before 2026 he had not won a Kentucky Derby. Guiding Golden Tempo from 18th to 1st, and outdueling brother Irad Ortiz Jr. on Renegade in the final strides, gave him a signature moment under the Twin Spires.
What’s next after Kentucky Derby 2026
Golden Tempo’s win came with a $3.1 million first‑place prize from the Derby’s $5 million purse, instantly boosting his value and that of his connections. Now, attention turns to whether DeVaux and the ownership group will point him to the Preakness Stakes. DeVaux has already said a Preakness run is “on the table,” but she also hinted they’ll watch how the horse bounces out of the Derby before making a final call.
Off the track, the 2026 Derby delivered big numbers too. Early reports say the broadcast and streaming coverage set new viewership highs, driven by the wild finish and DeVaux’s history‑making win. For casual fans, the image of a long shot charging past the favorite, with a barrier‑breaking trainer waiting in the winner’s circle, is the story that will stick long after the odds and payouts fade.
However Golden Tempo’s next race plays out, the 152nd Kentucky Derby already has its headline. A 23‑1 long shot came from last to first. A trainer who bet on herself shattered a 150‑year ceiling. And horse racing’s biggest stage once again produced the kind of finish that keeps people coming back every first Saturday in May.
