Cherie DeVaux named to TIME100 most influential people in sports list

3 hours ago

ABC 36 Digital Staff,

Kentucky Derby Horse Racing — Trainer Cherie DeVaux kisses the trophy after a victory by Golden Tempo in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

(ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Horse-racing trainer Cherie DeVaux has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in sports after the horse she trains, Golden Tempo, won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

DeVaux is listed under the “Titans” category on Time.com, where Time Senior Correspondent Sean Gregory highlights her historic Kentucky Derby win with long shot Golden Tempo.

Golden Tempo entered the race at 23-to-1 odds and charged from the back of the pack to clinch a stunning comeback victory, making DeVaux the first female trainer to win a Kentucky Derby, Gregory explained.

“I’m glad I can be a representative of all women, everywhere,” DeVaux said after the race. “We can do anything we set our minds to.”

In the “What is my life” I have been named as one of Times 100 most influential people in sportshttps://t.co/YGRtCNvPw4 pic.twitter.com/iEBGlxhlDO

— Cherie DeVaux (@reredevaux) June 9, 2026

LEX News interviewed DeVaux after the historic Derby win, where she stated, “I’m still a horse trainer. That is my career. That’s what got me here and that’s what my main focus is on.”

Golden Tempo won again at the Belmont Stakes in June.

The list also included, Lebron James, Lionel Messi, Caitlin Clark, Dawn Staley, Victor Wembanyama, Cristiano Ronaldo , and more.