Cherie DeVaux just made history as the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, but her path to the winner's circle was anything but conventional.

Three days after her long-shot horse Golden Tempo stormed to victory in the 152nd "Run for the Roses," DeVaux appeared on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" to share the remarkable origin story that led her to the sport's biggest stage.

"It's kind of a funny story," the 44-year-old trainer said with a smile. "I went to school for premed, mainly because I wanted a job that I could afford horses in my life."

Born and raised in Saratoga, New York—a town synonymous with horse racing—DeVaux grew up around horses but initially set her sights on a medical career. While paying her way through SUNY Albany, she took a part-time summer job at a stable to make ends meet. Her mother suggested a simple gig: walking horses, with the promise of being done by 10 a.m.

"I was like, 'That's good. I can wake up early, be done,'" DeVaux recalled. "I started as a hot walker, just by happenstance of where my life led me."

McAfee couldn't help but laugh at the irony: "Yeah, gonna have to become a brain surgeon to afford these damn horses."

That summer job turned into a life-changing mentorship under trainer Chuck Simon, who saw potential in DeVaux despite her wilder days. "Chuck saw I was going the wrong way, and he took me under his wing," she told The Athletic. "I was really enjoying the party life. He kind of wrangled me in. I didn't want to be a horse trainer. It just kind of evolved into that."

Since earning her training license in 2018, DeVaux has built an impressive résumé with nearly 300 wins, including the 2024 Breeders' Cup Mile with More Than Looks. But her Kentucky Derby triumph with Golden Tempo—a 23-1 long shot who charged from the back of the pack to hold off heavy favorite Renegade—cemented her place in racing history.

Now, all eyes turn to the Preakness Stakes on May 16. DeVaux told McAfee that no decision has been made yet about Golden Tempo's next race. "We're gonna give him a couple of days, and he's going to dictate the decision," she said.

For DeVaux, who runs her own independent stable and trains for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable (owned by Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola), this victory is the culmination of a journey that began with a simple summer job and a love for horses that wouldn't let go.