Cherie DeVaux took home about $310,000 after Golden Tempo won the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2, a cash prize that capped a $3.1 million winner’s share from the race’s $5 million purse. The Courier-Journal reported on May 7 that owners, the trainer and the jockey split the $3.1 million pot, with owners usually keeping roughly 80% and trainer and jockey each receiving about 10%. NBC News and CNN confirmed DeVaux, 44, is the first female trainer to prepare a Kentucky Derby winner, a milestone that raises both her profile and immediate earnings. DeVaux has already said Golden Tempo will skip the Preakness Stakes on May 16, citing the colt’s health as the priority.

The headline number is $310,000. That's the Courier-Journal’s calculation of the customary 10% trainer cut from the Derby winner’s $3.1 million share. It's the immediate, cashable reward for sending a horse to the post and getting it home first on the biggest single race day in American racing.

How the Derby payday actually flows

The way Derby money is divided is simple on paper and concentrated in practice. The race carried a $5 million purse, with the winner allotted $3.1 million, second place $1 million and third place $500,000, according to the Courier-Journal. Owners normally keep about 80% of the winner’s pot. Trainer and jockey each take roughly 10%.

In Golden Tempo’s case the owners’ share will be split between St. Elias Stable and Phipps Stable, the Courier-Journal identified. That owners’ portion isn't just a payday. It funds the running costs of the string, supports future purchases and underwrites stud plans if the colt is bred. The trainer’s 10% cut, in contrast, is immediate compensation for winning a race of this scale. Jockeys commonly receive a similar percentage as the trainer.

That concentrated split changes hands beyond the headline names. The Derby windfall also drives short-term revenue for consignors who sold horses along the way, transporters, veterinarians and the local economy around Churchill Downs. Increased demand and publicity tied to a winner push work and invoices across the backstretch and into Louisville’s service sectors.

From exercise rider to Derby winner

The victory raises DeVaux’s public profile as much as her bank balance. NBC News and CNN confirmed that DeVaux, 44, became the first female trainer to prepare a Kentucky Derby winner.

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Her comment after the race was succinct and plain: "I don’t have any words right now, I’m just so, so happy for Golden Tempo." That mix of emotion and earnings captures the dual payoff of a Derby win: headline recognition and cash.

DeVaux’s route to the 10% cheque is a reminder of the scale and staffing behind top trainers. She began as an exercise rider, worked as an assistant to leading trainers including Chuck Simona and Chad Brown, and took out her trainer’s licence in 2018. Reports note she runs an operation of roughly 120 horses based in Kentucky. Getting a horse to the Derby gate is a campaign in its own right. Golden Tempo was entered into enough qualifying races to make the field, and the colt had shown credible form with placings in the Louisiana Derby and the Risen Star Stakes.

Golden Tempo went off at long odds, 23-1, yet finished first on May 2. The win is a windfall for connections, and a public-relations boost for the trainer and the two stables that own the colt. The immediate cash is clear, but the longer-term value is often in breeding rights and future race plans, both of which are funded by the owners’ principal receipts.

The team moved fast after the race. According to a May 6 statement reported by the Courier-Journal, DeVaux announced the colt would bypass the Preakness Stakes on May 16, with the horse’s health the stated priority. That decision removes the short-term racing plan that often follows a Derby win, and it channels attention back to recovery, training and the possible commercial opportunities that follow a Derby victory.

For a trainer running a 120-horse operation, a seven-figure owners’ cheque and a six-figure trainer fee change budget lines. They create room for staff pay, vet bills, transport costs and selective purchases.

They also amplify the trainer’s bargaining power when negotiating future owners, shares in bloodstock and stud plans. The Courier-Journal’s breakdown makes those mechanics visible in stark numbers: $3.1 million to the winner, about $310,000 to the trainer, $1 million to second and $500,000 to third.

Beyond the immediate financials, the milestone matters to how the business of racing is seen. A first female trainer on the Derby winner’s list puts a spotlight on career pathways within the sport, from exercise rider to head trainer. It also highlights the team beneath a trainer: grooms, exercise riders, farriers, vets and transport crews who all benefit when a high-profile horse wins.

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DeVaux has said Golden Tempo will bypass the Preakness Stakes, scheduled for May 16, placing the next concrete decision on the colt’s recovery and longer-term plan.

This article was created with AI assistance.