Megyn doesn’t cover sports very often, but every once in a while there is a triumphant moment that warrants an exception – and Saturday’s 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby was exactly that. Facing longshot 23-1 odds, Golden Tempo pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory to narrowly beat out Renegade for the first leg of the Triple Crown.
But passing 17 horses to finish first was just one element of what turned out to be a very inspiring story all around. The jockey riding Golden Tempo, Jose Ortiz, got his first Kentucky Derby win in his eleventh try and bested none other than his brother, Irad Ortiz, who rode Renegade to a second-place finish.
And then there was Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux, who became the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby and just the second female trainer to win any Triple Crown race (Jena Antonucci made history when her horse Arcangelo won the 2023 Belmont Stakes). But she doesn’t seem to have much time for people trying to make this achievement all about her gender.
Historic Win
During an appearance on the Today show Monday, DeVaux rejected the premise that she is a “trailblazer.”
“Horse racing has long been dominated by men. It’s started to change a little bit in recent years, but you made history on Saturday,” anchor Craig Melvin said. “Do you consider yourself a trailblazer? Is that something that–“
“No, I consider myself a horse trainer and I just happen to be a female,” DeVaux responded. “But, you know, it’s quite an honor to be the first female trainer to win a Kentucky Derby.”
On Monday’s edition of The Megyn Kelly Show, Megyn called it a “perfect answer” from DeVaux, who also responded to the buzz her enthusiastic reaction to watching Golden Tempo run and win garnered on social media in many now-viral clips.
“That reaction that’s gotten a lot of attention the last few days, you going just bonkers, folks who, like, know you well, that’s not unusual. That’s you at pretty much any race,” Melvin noted.
DeVaux joked that while her energetic celebrations have “gotten a bit tapered down” over the years, she said she was “all systems go” on Saturday given the stakes. “If you win the Kentucky Derby… male, female, whatever, you should have a reaction like that,” she said.
‘A Cinderella Story’
Megyn said she was left inspired by the whole event and shared that horse racing has a special place in her heart because of where she grew up in upstate New York. “I can’t stop looking at the videos of it… I teared up multiple times watching this horse come from behind. Is it just me,” she wondered. “I do love horse racing. I grew up steps away from Saratoga Raceway, which I absolutely adore.”
“This was just so moving,” she concluded. “I love all the movies. I love Seabiscuit, I love Secretariat, and this guy’s story on Saturday was kind of like a Seabiscuit… Golden Tempo… was literally in last place earlier in this race – I mean, last by a lot – and had a stunning come from behind victory… We love a Cinderella story here in America, don’t we? It was incredible.”
You can check out Megyn’s full analysis by tuning in to episode 1,309 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.