If you were watching the most exciting two minutes in sports this past weekend, then you witnessed a piece of history. On May 2nd, Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby with Golden Tempo, making history for all women in and out of the racing industry. Not only was it her first Derby winner, but it was also her Derby debut. Cherie is the second female trainer to become a Triple Crown winner, after Jena Antonucci won the 2023 Belmont Stakes. Cherie DeVaux went out on her own as a trainer in 2018 and, just 8 years later, has made history, further proving there is a place in this industry for women in every aspect.
The 152nd Kentucky Derby also marked the last Derby for NBC reporter Donna Brothers, who has been reporting on the sport since 2000. Before working as an NBC reporter, she had earned the title of the second leading female jockey in the United States with 1,1130 wins and over $18 million in purse earnings.
Looking further back at trailblazers in racing media, before Donna was Charlsie Cantey, the first female racing broadcaster and former exercise rider for Ruffian. She had a broadcasting career spanning 30 years between ABC, CBS, ESPN, and NBC.
In 1993 Julie Krone became the first female jockey to win a Triple Crown race, winning the Belmont Stakes with Colonial Affair. She was later the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.
Some other women, you may not know the history behind… Laska Durnell, Kathy Kusner, Barbara Jo Rubin, Rosemary Homeister Jr, Marylou Witney, Penny Chenery, or Stella Thayer. All these women helped pave the path for the rest and for those still to come.
Laska Durnell owned Kentucky Derby winner Elwood, who became the first Derby winner to be owned and bred by a woman. He made Laska the first woman to own a starter and winner in the Kentucky Derby. Kathy Kusner was the first female jockey to become licensed and was the first licensed female jockey to ride in multiple countries. Kathy was also the first woman to medal in an equestrian competition when she received silver in the 1972 Olympics.
Barbara Jo Rubin was the first woman rider to win a race in New York. Rosemary Homeister Jr.’s jockey career saw 2,784 wins between 1992 and 2015, and in 1992, she was the first female rider to win an Eclipse Award. Marylou Whitney helped to lift and build excitement for upstate New York and Saratoga (ever heard of the Whitney Stakes?). She was the first woman in 80 years to breed and own a Kentucky Oaks winner and then won the Belmont Stakes and Travers the following year. Marylou also received an Eclipse Award.
Penny Chenery was among the first women admitted to The Jockey Club, and she bred and owned Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Stella Thayer purchased Tampa Bay Downs, making it the first Thoroughbred racetrack with separate female ownership and management.
All of these women had major accomplishments beyond what was listed; these are just the highlights of the highlights. These women, and now Cherie DeVaux, have proved and continue to prove that there is a place in this industry for women. If you were ever on the fence about taking that step or getting involved, this is the time.
To see it come full circle like this is what makes this sport so special. From the women who had to fight just to be allowed in the gate, to someone like Cherie DeVaux winning the biggest race in the world in her very first try, it’s a reminder of how far the industry has come, and how much further it can still go. The names mentioned here are only scratching the surface, but each one played a role in getting us to this moment. And moments like this don’t just belong to history, they shape what comes next.