In a historic moment for horse racing, trainer Cherie DeVaux made headlines this weekend by becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner. Her bay colt, Golden Tempo, stormed from last place to capture the Run for the Roses, etching both their names into the sport's record books.

"I've always just said I'm a horse trainer that happens to be female," DeVaux told CBS News on Monday, reflecting on her groundbreaking achievement. "It's an honor to be that person that other women and young girls can look up to."

Her victory carries extra weight in a sport where female trainers have been historically underrepresented. Only 17 other women have ever trained horses in the Derby, with the most recent entry coming in 2021. DeVaux hopes her win opens more doors. "We are underrepresented in the industry, and I'm not sure why, but hopefully that changes," she said.

DeVaux's path to Churchill Downs' winner's circle was anything but typical. Originally studying pre-med in college with plans to become a physical therapist, she took a winding road to the track. "I wanted to have a life that afforded horses, because they're not cheap," she explained. "This kind of just happened—this wasn't a linear journey."

A lifelong rider, DeVaux eventually transitioned from exercising horses to training them. She made the leap to training on her own eight years ago after meeting her husband. "The first three years were really slow to get started, kind of like Golden Tempo," she said, drawing a parallel to her colt's last-to-first Derby surge.

As the racing world turns its attention to the Preakness on May 16, the next leg of the Triple Crown, the question on everyone's mind is whether Golden Tempo will run. DeVaux keeps it simple: there's only one vote that matters.