Cherie DeVaux made history at the 2026 Kentucky Derby by becoming the first female trainer ever to win the race. But she could’ve been in a different profession if not for an honest talk from her boyfriend. By 2017, she was consumed by self-doubt and was having second thoughts about leaving her pre-med for horse training. But as it turned out, support from her “rock” made her realize her potential.

It was her husband and bloodstock agent David Ingordo who talked her into staying on the track as a trainer. David is a respected figure in the racing world known for helping owners source and purchase high-quality Thoroughbreds. Speaking about that period, DeVaux revealed how close she was to stepping away from the sport.

“I have to say my husband has been my reason for being, honestly. In 2017, we were still dating and kind of at a crossroads in my life, and I was happy to walk away from the industry and kind of explore other paths. And he told me, you really owe it to yourself to try to be a trainer in your own right. You’re very talented, you have a really good sense with clients and communication,” Cherie DeVaux said.

At that time, she said the struggle was not about training ability, but about belief and the pressure of starting something on her own. “I was kind of just not really believing in myself at that point. Not that I couldn’t train horses, but taking a big step and starting a big business is definitely something that can be a little hair-triggering. So he’s definitely been my rock this entire time, my support system, and now my biggest cheerleader,” she added.

DeVaux’s decision to nearly walk out a decade ago reflects the problems plaguing the racing world. In one of the most notable industry exits, Alice Haynes, the 34-year-old Group-3 winning trainer, made the painful decision to cease training, citing that the sport’s financial structure made running a viable, profitable yard impossible for smaller independent stables. Ann Duffield stepped back due to the pressures of the profession, stating it was time to hand the reins over to the younger, more ambitious generation, and Suzy Smith followed the same path.

Studies released by Riders Minds showed that nearly 47% of dual-career equestrians were experiencing high levels of burnout. Balancing stables with external jobs and managing the financial burdens of ownership proved overwhelming.

Luckily, DeVaux had her anchor by her side. In 2018, Cherie DeVaux chose to become an independent. She established her own training operation and worked her way up without much support from anyone. Early years were patient, survival, and gaining the owners’ trust. Her first victory as a trainer came in 2019, marking the true start of her independent career.

From 2019 to 2023, she gained experience by winning stakes and strong performances with improving horses. Among the many achievements she had early in her career was winning the Gam’s Mission race at the Regret Stakes in 2021.

In 2024, Cherie DeVaux won a Breeders’ Cup Mile with More Than Looks to get into the top level. However, long before these big victories came in her life, horses had influenced almost every facet of it.

Cherie DeVaux left pre-med behind for horses

Cherie DeVaux was born to Janet and Adrian DeVaux in Saratoga Springs, New York, and later raised in Englewood, Florida. She grew up in a large family with nine siblings, and her father, along with several of her siblings, was involved in equestrian work. While the family’s background was more connected to harness racing than Thoroughbreds, it kept her close to horses from an early age.

Even with that background, she initially chose a different direction. After moving to South Florida, she decided to pursue pre-med studies with plans of becoming a physical therapist. As Cherie DeVaux once explained, it was “because I wanted a job that I could afford horses in my life.” She worked her way through college, paying her own expenses while studying. But everything shifted during her college years when a simple need changed her direction. “I needed a summer job,” she said.

That one step brought her back into the racing world. She started working for trainer Chuck Simon at Saratoga Race Course, where she spent around six years. That was her first real entry into Thoroughbred racing as a career.

From there, Cherie DeVaux’s experience deepened further when she joined Chad Brown’s stable. She spent nearly eight years there as an assistant trainer, learning high-level training methods, race preparation, and the demands of elite competition. That long assistant phase became the foundation of everything that came later in her career.