The roar of the crowd at Churchill Downs was still echoing when Cherie DeVaux made history—becoming the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner. But for the nearly dozen family members who packed into a big white van and drove 14 hours from New York to witness it, the celebration was just getting started.

The road trip was a family affair, filled with stories, laughter, and the kind of shenanigans that only a long drive with loved ones can bring. But there was one unspoken rule that kept the mood light and the superstitions at bay.

"No one was allowed to say we're going to win because I'm superstitious," sister Adrianne DeVaux shared with a grin. "Since I was a little kid watching races, we're not allowed to say that."

That rule held strong through every mile, and it paid off in the most spectacular way. The family watched from the stands as Golden Tempo thundered down the stretch, crossing the finish line first and etching Cherie DeVaux's name into the history books. The moment was electric—a once-in-a-lifetime triumph that made every hour of that long drive worth it.

But while the victory was sweet, the journey wasn't over. As Cherie stood at the celebratory postrace news conference, trophy in hand, she couldn't help but think of her family's next adventure. "They're probably not going to sleep," she said with a knowing smile, aware that they had another long drive ahead of them Sunday.

From a superstitious road trip to a historic win at the Derby, the DeVaux family proved that sometimes, the best journeys are the ones you take together—and that a little luck (and a lot of family love) can make anything possible.