Family celebrates Cherie DeVaux after historic Kentucky Derby victory

Cherie DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, a moment her parents, Janet and Adrian DeVaux, witnessed after driving 14 hours from upstate New York to Louisville.

Janet DeVaux shared her emotions as the race unfolded.

“We are horse people. We all watch,” Janet said. “He said, ‘Oh, it's too bad the horse is so far behind, you know, I feel bad.’ And, we know how hard it is for a horse to make up that much ground. So we were just saying, ‘Well, we're happy she got here, and we're so proud of her.’”

She described the dramatic turn of events as the horse came around the bend.

“And then my grandson started screaming, and I turned around, and I started to really watch the race, and I just was standing there with my mouth gaping open, then my hands over my face, and I just said, ‘Oh my God,’ just like my daughter was saying in the video,” Janet said. “You see, I said, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, he's going to win.’”

The DeVaux family has a long-standing love for horses. Cherie’s father, Adrian, and her siblings are also involved in thoroughbred and harness training. In 1993, the family moved to the Gulf Coast, where Cherie graduated from Lemon Bay High School and attended Florida Gulf Coast University.

“The town of Englewood couldn't have been more supportive of all of us. All through that time, her friends, moms and families, her coaches, and I, it does take a village. And the village was Englewood, but they really supported her through her whole time,” Janet said.

Cherie’s passion for horses continued in Florida, where she pursued barrel racing.

“She was barrel racing, and we sat for hours down there in Arcadia. It was like 400 entries. And what for? 20s of running around. We sat in that heat all day, but it was worth it. She realized her dreams,” Janet said.

After seven years with a trainer’s license, Cherie’s determination to succeed never wavered, even when she considered giving up on training.

“I didn't cry through the whole process until I saw her reaction on the television, of her screaming. I just, I just can't even tell you how important that was to us, that she had finally realized her dreams,” Janet said.

Janet and Adrian shared a message for young women inspired by Cherie’s historic win.

“She said it. You'll fail, you'll fall, pivot, and may start all over again. You know you. Because you can go after a mistake. You can, you can. It's not the end of the world. Just keep going as she did,” Janet said.

“Don't ever think you can't do a man’s job,” Adrian added.

Golden Tempo will not be racing in the Preakness, Cherie announced in a statement, meaning there will not be a Triple Crown winner this year.

For Janet and Adrian, watching their daughter win the Kentucky Derby was an unforgettable experience.

“It’s icing on the cake,” they said.

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