derby8cbs.jpg
Imagn Images

In the previous 151 runnings of the Kentucky Derby, no winner has been trained by a woman. Of the 18 women who have saddled horses in the race, Shelley Riley owns the best finish: second in 1992 with Casual Lies. This year, Cherie DeVaux, who already has won almost 300 races since becoming a trainer in 2018, is set to become the 19th female trainer in Derby history, and she has a live longshot in the late-running Golden Tempo. Bet Golden Tempo and the entire Kentucky Derby at TwinSpires, where new users who click through our links get a supersized $400 sign-up bonus:

19 Golden Tempo (30-1)

  • Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
  • Jockey: Jose Ortiz
  • Last race: Third in the Louisiana Derby by 1 length
  • Career record: 4 starts: 2 wins, 2 thirds
  • Career earnings: $333,000
  • Best career Beyer Speed Figure: 88 (Louisiana Derby)
  • Sire: Curlin

Below, we'll dig further into Golden Tempo as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

Now that you know who's in the field, you'll want to know how to bet the Kentucky Derby on the top horse racing betting apps. FanDuel Racing offers a $25 bonus with a $5 bet. Claim it here:

What to know about Golden Tempo

This year's Kentucky Derby has an abundance of late-running deep closers, but perhaps the best is Golden Tempo.

A son of Curlin out of a Bernardini mare, Golden Tempo was bred to run all day and had no business winning his first start, at six furlongs. But he did anyway, rallying from last of 10. His next start, the Lecomte Stakes, was almost a replay of his debut, rallying from last of 10 again to prevail by 3/4 length.

He finished third in his next two starts, the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby, but in both races he came with his patented late kick.

His speed figures have improved with every race, which obviously is a good sign. But according to Beyer Speed Figures, the figures are too slow for him to be competitive on Saturday. Note: Speed figures for closers can often give an inaccurate picture of a horse's performance since the pace of the race plays a major role in the final time.

However according to Thoro-graph, his figure in the Louisiana Derby came back strong and makes him a contender in the Derby.

Golden Tempo has yet to be in a race with a fast pace, and there's certainly the possibility of that with a 20-horse field on Saturday. A fast pace could enhance his late kick in a way we haven't seen yet.

Finally, Golden Tempo seems to do his best running when he's along the rail, and the ability to pass horses on the inside helps to save ground in the Kentucky Derby. 

He has been training brilliantly at Keeneland and has a chance to light up the payouts at FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET at a big price. But on Tuesday, DeVaux said the horse is dealing with cracked heels. She said they are "not a big deal," but in a race like the Kentucky Derby, which is often decided by thin margins, even that can be a significant factor. Claim our jumbo-sized 1/ST BET offer here to get a $500 sign-up bonus:

Post draw analysis

Since Golden Tempo is a deep closer who will drop to the back of the pack, the post draw didn't really affect his chances. From the No. 19 hole, jockey Jose Ortiz will be able to duck in and save ground once the horses on his inside have cleared. Look for Ortiz to guide Golden Tempo to the rail at some point and come running late, assuming the cracked heels are no issue.