Edition #38
June 3, 2026
Welcome to The W Profile, a study of the women leading at the intersection of sports, media, and global business. As college athletics adopts professional structures, it is instructive to look to the visionaries who have already mastered the complexities of the corporate world. By bringing C-Suite lessons to the athletics community, this series will provide leaders with the insights necessary to build a lasting legacy.
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Introduction
When elite thoroughbred owners seek a trainer capable of developing million-dollar yearlings into Grade 1 champions, they increasingly turn to Cherie DeVaux. As the founder and head trainer of Cherie DeVaux Racing, she operates at the absolute pinnacle of North American horse racing, managing the daily logistics, physical development, and commercial value of high-stakes equine athletes.
Operating across major circuits in Kentucky, New York, and Louisiana, DeVaux is responsible for bridging the gap between raw genetic potential and peak track performance. Her tenure is defined by a fierce commitment to individualized animal care, masterful race placement, and transforming a boutique startup into a multimillion-dollar commercial powerhouse, proving that female trainers can consistently dominate the highest levels of a historically male-centric industry.
From the Mega-Stable to Independence
DeVaux’s executive DNA is deeply rooted in the high-pressure, high-volume environment of championship horse racing. A lifelong horsewoman who initially pursued a premed degree before returning to the track, she spent eight defining years as the top assistant to Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown. Serving as his primary lieutenant in New York, she managed the daily operations of a massive stable and oversaw the development of legendary champions, most notably guiding the resilient mare Lady Eli through a miraculous, career-saving recovery from laminitis.
This unparalleled apprenticeship provided her with a front-row seat to the staggering logistics and administrative rigor required to run a global racing operation. She took a massive professional risk by leaving that secure infrastructure to launch her own stable in 2018 with just a handful of horses. Partnering closely with her husband, prominent bloodstock agent David Ingordo, she methodically built her own elite talent pipeline. Today, she commands a premier roster that routinely captures the sport's most prestigious events, highlighted by Grade 1 victories from superstars like Vahva and More Than Looks.
The DeVaux Playbook
DeVaux approaches the training of elite racehorses with a strategy that balances massive operational scale with unyielding, individualized attention. Her playbook encompasses three critical pillars:
➤ The Mega-Stable Blueprint, Scaled: Rather than abandoning the systems she learned under Chad Brown, DeVaux implements the exact same elite operational infrastructure—stringent feeding protocols, precise workout schedules, and elite veterinary coordination—but applies it to a carefully curated roster. This ensures her operation maintains big-stable efficiency without allowing individual horses to fall through the cracks.
➤ Strategic Bloodstock Synergy: She leverages a deep, highly integrated synergy with Ingordo's bloodstock scouting to identify undervalued yearlings and perfectly match their physical pedigrees with her specific developmental style. This unified approach to purchasing and training establishes an incredibly efficient, high-yield talent pipeline for her investors.
➤ Patience as a Premium Asset: She treats Thoroughbreds as long-term athletic investments rather than quick returns. By refusing to aggressively rush two-year-old horses to the track before they are physically and mentally mature, she maximizes their long-term racing careers, ensures their physical safety, and ultimately protects their residual breeding value for the owners.
Lessons on Patience and Program Building
DeVaux has built a career out of quiet, undeniable competence. She leads with the philosophy that respect in the racing industry is earned through consistent winner's circle appearances and pristine horse welfare rather than loud self-promotion.
She operates with the belief that a great trainer must be a relentless, transparent communicator. By understanding the massive financial risks her owners absorb and the delicate physiological realities of her horses, she proactively structures her business to manage the expectations of the former while protecting the health of the latter. Her success proves that the ultimate role of an elite trainer is not just to win races, but to build a highly structured, trustworthy environment where both the animals and the investors can thrive.
Takeaways
➤ The Value of the Elite Apprenticeship: DeVaux’s career proves that mastering the logistical systems of a massive, successful organization is the ultimate prerequisite before attempting to build your own.
➤ Quality Over Quantity: In an era where "super trainers" hoard hundreds of horses, DeVaux’s focus on a slightly smaller, highly optimized roster proves that a better win percentage and personalized care offer a superior return on investment.
➤ Transparency Builds Loyalty: By maintaining absolute honesty with her owners regarding a horse's limitations or required rest periods, she cultivates long-term financial backing and institutional trust.
➤ Execution Erases Bias: DeVaux’s ascent reinforces that the most effective way to dismantle an established "boys' club" is to simply outwork and out-execute the competition on the biggest stages.
Read. Watch. Listen.
READ: The Athletic’s Emily Ohman and Dan Santaromita chronicle DeVaux’s journey from medical school to the backside. (link)
WATCH: On The Pat McAfee Show, DeVaux talks about being the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby, how she got into horse racing, the strategy of preparing Golden Tempo for the Kentucky Derby and the horse’s historic run and more. (link)
LISTEN: DeVaux joins the Dan Patrick Show to cover an array of topics, including whether Golden Tempo knows he did something special, her rationale in drafting a race plan, her experience watching Golden Tempo’s run, how she knows she’s good at her job, the future of the Triple Crown and more. (link)
Quote to Remember
“My gender has never really crossed my mind in this journey of mine. The race track is a tough place. It’s a tough place if you’re a man. It’s a tough place if you’re a woman. The thing that really has become apparent to me is that not everyone has the same constitution as I have mentally. It really is an honor to be able to be that person for other women or other little girls to look up to. You can dream big or you can pivot. You can come from one place, and you can make yourself a part of history.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Carrie Ask – CEO, Wilson Sporting Goods
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Rebecca Calder – Commander, United States Navy Reserve (Ret.)
Publication Date: Wednesday, May 27
Colie Edison – Chief Growth Officer, WNBA
Publication Date: Sunday, May 24
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(Posted from most recent over the last 15 days)
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Head Coach Softball (Florida International University / Miami, FL): Provides overall leadership for the Softball program. More details HERE.
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