Who Is Golden Tempo? Meet the 152nd Kentucky Derby Winner

The 2026 Kentucky Derby had a 30-1 morning line shot waiting to crash the party. Golden Tempo did exactly that on Saturday, outrunning 17 rivals to win the 152nd edition of the race and deliver one of the bigger upsets Churchill Downs has seen in recent years.

The field was already without The Puma, scratched with a swollen leg, and Great White never got started after falling before the race began. None of that took anything away from what Golden Tempo pulled off.

Sitting near the back through most of the 1 1/8-mile race, he came on strong late and crossed the wire at 23-1. Renegade finished second with Irad Ortiz Jr. up and Ocelli took third.

Who is Golden Tempo? Cherie DeVaux's Path to History

Not everyone saw this coming, but the pedigree was always worth a second look. The win also made history - trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner.

Golden Tempo is by Curlin, the Hall of Fame stallion who won the Preakness Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic in 2007 and earned American Horse of the Year honors in both 2007 and 2008. His dam is Carrumba, who won at 1 1/8 miles, the exact distance of the Derby.

Foaled on Feb. 7, 2023 and owned by Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, the bay colt gave Curlin his first Derby winner as a sire. Previous Curlin runners Exaggerator, Good Magic and Journalism had all finished second at Churchill Downs without breaking through.

"Golden Tempo represents the deepest frustration in pedigree handicapping," Kentucky Derby noted.

The Curlin-Bernardini mare cross has long carried a reputation for stamina, and DeVaux had already built a strong resume before Saturday. She had produced a Breeders' Cup Mile winner and a 2025 champion turf mare. Getting a Kentucky Derby winner puts her in a different conversation entirely.