Kentucky Derby 2026 Results | Golden Tempo Wins for First-Ever Female Trainer

Golden Tempo shocked Churchill Downs at 23-1, storming home from last under José Ortiz to deny co-favourite Renegade by a neck and hand Cherie DeVaux a piece of history — the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby in the race’s 152-year history. The 152nd Run for the Roses, contested in front of 150,000 at Churchill Downs on Saturday 2 May 2026, was decided in the final stride after the Curlin colt picked off the field one by one through the Churchill stretch. For the full Brisbane Winter program rolling on next, see our Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival guide.

Kentucky Derby 2026 Result

Pos	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1st	Golden Tempo	José Ortiz	Cherie DeVaux	23/1
2nd	Renegade	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Todd Pletcher	5.65/1
3rd	Ocelli	—	—	70.5/1
4th	Chief Wallabee	—	—	7.31/1
5th	Danon Bourbon	—	—	12.66/1

 

Race time: 2:02.27 (1¼ miles, fast track) — winning margin a neck. Total purse $5 million; the winner takes home $3.1 million. Field of 20 (Great White scratched at the gate after rearing during loading; horse and rider Alex Achard unhurt).

 

How It Unfolded

Golden Tempo broke without urgency and settled stone last as the early speed went hard. Co-favourite Renegade stalked the pace under Irad Ortiz Jr., perfectly placed in mid-division. Through the back straight Ocelli — a 70-1 outsider — pushed forward, while Chief Wallabee and Danon Bourbon held mid-pack berths.

Around the far turn José Ortiz started moving Golden Tempo through traffic. The Curlin colt unleashed a sustained run down the centre of the track, picking off horses one at a time as Renegade hit the front in upper stretch. The brothers Ortiz duelled the length of the Churchill straight — Irad in front, José closing — and Golden Tempo got up in the very final stride to deny his brother by a neck. Ocelli stayed on for third at 70-1.

 

History Made — DeVaux Breaks 152-Year Barrier

Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer in Kentucky Derby history to send out a winner — and only the second woman to win any American Triple Crown race. Through 151 previous renewals, the trophy had never been lifted by a woman. DeVaux, a former assistant to Chad Brown who set up on her own in 2018, has built a Lexington operation around patient, late-developing horses — exactly the profile Golden Tempo brought into the Derby.

The Ortiz brothers had also never won the Derby individually before — José adds the missing Triple Crown jewel to an already glittering CV, while Irad’s runner-up finish on Renegade is his closest call yet in the sport’s most-watched horse race.

 

Stat Nugget — The Into Mischief Story

The big pre-race breeding story was about to write itself: Into Mischief had three sons in the field — Renegade (favourite), Commandment and Potente — and was already on three Derby winners as a sire (Authentic 2020, Mandaloun 2021, Sovereignty 2025). A fourth would have made him the first stallion since Bull Lea in 1957 to dominate the Derby like that. Into Mischief had even become the only stallion ever to sire back-to-back Derby winners. The 2026 race would have rewritten the record book again — until Renegade was caught a stride from the wire. Curlin, the winner’s sire, gets the headline instead: he was third in his own 2007 Derby behind Street Sense, but his sons Keen Ice and Good Magic had already produced Derby winners (Rich Strike 2022, Mage 2023). Now Curlin gets one of his own.

 

Pedigree Connections in the Field

Several past Derby winners and Triple Crown stars were represented in the 2026 field through their stallion sons:

• Into Mischief (3-time Derby sire) — Renegade, Commandment, Potente
• Curlin (2007 third) — Golden Tempo (winner)
• Constitution (Tapit-line) — Chief Wallabee (4th), Right to Party
• Nyquist (2016 Derby winner) — Litmus Test
• Street Sense (2007 Derby winner) — Maxfield, who sired Danon Bourbon (5th)
• Orb (2013 Derby winner) — broodmare sire of Commandment

 

Kentucky Derby Past Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
2026	Golden Tempo	José Ortiz	Cherie DeVaux	23/1
2025	Sovereignty	Junior Alvarado	Bill Mott	7.5/1
2024	Mystik Dan	Brian Hernández Jr.	Kenny McPeek	18/1
2023	Mage	Javier Castellano	Gustavo Delgado	15/1
2022	Rich Strike	Sonny León	Eric Reed	80/1

 

Three of the last five Derbies have now gone to a 15-1+ outsider — Rich Strike (80-1, 2022), Mystik Dan (18-1, 2024) and Golden Tempo (23-1, 2026). The book on backing the favourite at Churchill Downs gets thinner every year.

 

What’s Next for the Triple Crown?

All eyes now turn to the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on Saturday 16 May 2026, the second leg of the US Triple Crown. Cherie DeVaux confirmed Golden Tempo will run, putting the colt one win from the Belmont Stakes (Saturday 6 June) at Saratoga and a shot at the first Triple Crown since Justify in 2018. Renegade is also expected to back up at Pimlico — set up perfectly for a rematch.

 

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Kentucky Derby 2026 Results FAQs

Who won the 2026 Kentucky Derby?

Golden Tempo won the 2026 Kentucky Derby at 23-1, ridden by José Ortiz and trained by Cherie DeVaux — the first female trainer to win the Derby in its 152-year history.

What did Golden Tempo pay and how did he win?

Golden Tempo started at 23-1 and stormed home from last to deny co-favourite Renegade by a neck in the final stride, with Ocelli (70-1) third.

Why was the 2026 Kentucky Derby historic?

Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby in 151 previous runnings, and only the second woman to win any American Triple Crown race.

When and where was the 2026 Kentucky Derby run?

At Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday 2 May 2026 — the 152nd running, over 1¼ miles.

What’s next for Golden Tempo?

The Preakness Stakes at Pimlico (Saturday 16 May 2026), then potentially the Belmont Stakes (Saturday 6 June) — a tilt at the first US Triple Crown since Justify in 2018.

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