DeVaux’s Golden Tempo completes final workout ahead of Belmont Stakes
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW via LEX NEWS) — Golden Tempo, the 152nd annual Kentucky Derby winner, completed his final practice run Saturday morning at Keeneland, as he prepares to head to New York for the 158th annual Belmont Stakes.
Golden Tempo’s trainer Cherie DeVaux said she is pleased with how the horse has been performing since his big win earlier this month.
“[He’s] been full of himself, kind of quiet and touting himself with confidence,” DeVaux said.
Golden Tempo leaves for New York on Sunday ahead of the June 6 race. DeVaux said she prefers to keep her horses on familiar ground for as long as possible before a race.
“I like to keep the horses on the surface they’re training on for as long as possible,” she said.
DeVaux has found herself in the spotlight alongside her champion. She made history at Churchill Downs as the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, doing so with a last-to-first finish. While the attention has been significant, DeVaux said she has embraced it.
“It’s been busy, overwhelming at times, but when you do something that’s worthy of talking about, it’s fun to share that,” she said.
DeVaux told ABC 36 News she hopes her achievement resonates beyond the sport, as she recognizes her win is monumental in more ways than one.
“I’m really grateful to be an inspiration, to be a role model. Not what I set out to do every day, and I think that’s the beauty of it. If you live your life in a manner, in a way that inspires others, then I think you’re doing something really great,” she said.
