Before she became the first female trainer to have a horse win two Triple Crown Races – the 2026 Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes – Cherie DeVaux was a young Little Leaguer® like so many other Girls with Game around the world, lacing up her cleats and running around on the Englewood Area (Fla.) Little League diamond. Today, DeVaux’s impact in the horse racing industry has made waves across the sport, inspiring women to break barriers and achieve their goals; however, her journey to get to this stage was not always easy.
“When people see me now, they see the result of so many failures. So many times, I had to pick myself up,” said DeVaux. “Going after your goals and dreams comes with a lot of hard work and a lot of failure, and you must have a lot of perseverance to continue on that journey. You make mistakes, and you learn from them and move forward. That’s why I am here today. I don’t let the bad moments define me. You just keep moving forward and keep a positive mindset.”
Just weeks after her victory in the Belmont Stakes, Little League® caught up with DeVaux for a special “Six Innings Conversation” to take a deeper dive into her journey and learn more about how she has carried her Little League days into her career today.
First Inning: How did playing Little League impact your childhood?
It’s extremely important to play sports when you’re a child, especially for women. There’s an overwhelming number of women leaders who have been involved in organized sports at a young age. Little League has always been a great program, especially in my life, because you start from the very basics and you cultivate those skills to eventually do complex things. Little League created a sense of community for me and for so many kids today. I remember having fun with my teammates, peers, and even my coaches.
Second Inning: Did you receive any advice from a coach or maybe a lesson you learned while playing Little League that you think you’ve carried into your life today?
I had the opportunity to work with a lot of great people who helped me throughout my young years in sports and Little League. Mostly what I wanted to know was what I was not good at. I thrived on constructive criticism and worked hard on the things that needed to be fixed. I remember the countless nights when either a coach or parent, who was not my own, would stay after practice to help me with what I was struggling with. I found that even if it’s not your coach, there are so many volunteers within the Little League community who were willing to help me.
Third Inning: You and the horses that you train have been grinding through adversity throughout your entire career. How do you continue to face those moments?
With respect, a sense of integrity, and prioritizing putting your best foot forward. You must make all your decisions in life based on that, and it’s not always going to be easy. Sometimes it’s hard to do what we do with the horses because they might be sick and you must put their health first, or they might have a little problem. You have to keep integrity in your decision-making to make sure that the horse’s safety and health are paramount. That has to be your first thought in any decision that you’re making. Teamwork is also a large part of facing and getting through adversity. During a race, there’s obviously one jockey on the horse out on the track, but like any sport, it really does take a team.
Fourth Inning: How does teamwork play a role in the work that you do, which has led to those huge wins like the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes?
The public only gets to see big races like the Kentucky Derby and is a bit naive about how things work behind the scenes. We have 125 horses spread over three different divisions, and we all work together as a team. For example, I’m three hours away from our main base where a lot of our up-and-coming horses are, and our experienced riders will drive there to help and give feedback. Ultimately, it’s not just each division working on their own; it’s our whole entire stable collectively, and it’s about working as a unit and problem-solving. It’s about picking each other up when something goes wrong. It’s about celebrating the big win together. But the bigger picture is that we celebrate all the wins, all of the good things together. When things aren’t going well, or something bad happens, everyone else is there to help each other.
Fifth Inning: What does being a “Girl with Game” mean to you?
It means doing hard things and learning how to work together, which is something that not a lot of people get right. I believe that’s why there’s a direct correlation between women who have played sports and later become leaders, because you learn how to work together and lead by example. You learn to be the one who picks up and not just orders people around. You put yourself in other people’s shoes, and you support each other. That’s where the foundation of being a good leader starts – from when you’re young, and you learn the right way to conduct yourself in groups.
Sixth Inning: Whether it is at the local league or on the biggest stage in youth sports, what advice do you have for our Little League softball players to help them stay true to themselves in big moments?
You must stay true to yourself and stay true to what has gotten you to where you are. When Golden Temple went out and ran in the Kentucky Derby, we were nervous and anxious, but in that moment the heavy burden was then on Golden Tempo and Jose [Ortiz], who rode the horse. I’ve been in those moments in sports where you have to just take a deep breath and ground yourself. One thing I’ve learned in sports that’s carried through is that a bad day is a bad day. You don’t have to make it a bad week. A bad at bat only lasts for a moment, and then you go back into the dugout, collect yourself, and be there for your team.
NOTE: If you know of a Little League graduate who would fit into any of these categories and is not listed, please complete the Little League Alumni Submission form. To learn more about former Little Leaguers who have gone on to incredible careers, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni.