Cherie DeVaux has had a very successful career as a trainer, but she has yet to saddle a horse for the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks.

That might be about to change.

DeVaux-trained horses finished one-two as Golden Tempo held off Mesquite to win the 83rd Lecomte Stakes to climax Road to the Derby Day on Saturday at the Fair Grounds. Though another DeVaux duo didn’t fare as well in the 34th Fasig-Tipton Silverbulletday Stakes for fillies earlier in the day, things are looking good for DeVaux on the road to Churchill Downs in May.

Golden Tempo earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby and Mesquite earned 10.

“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of success in my career,” said DeVaux, who has 22 graded stakes wins and a Breeders’ Cup win since 2021. “I’ve never had a realistic opportunity for the Oaks or the Derby. … If we don’t have a strong contender in both the Oaks and the Derby, I’ll be disappointed.”

She wasn’t disappointed in the Lecomte, though there was a wide range of emotions during Golden Tempo’s trip over the mile and 1/16 in 1:44.98. DeVaux said she tries to remain “objective” when she has multiple horses in the same race.

Jockey Joe Ortiz adroitly negotiated Golden Tempo’s path through a congested stretch run to finish ¾ of a length in front of Mesquite.

“Jose is a great rider, and he’s patient,” DeVaux said. “I was hoping immaturity wouldn’t show up because of the horses’ lack of experience, but I couldn’t be more pleased. So excited for both horses, elated for the owners (Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable).”

Golden Tempo went off as a 5-2 favorite, but started slowly as he did in a last-to-first sprint victory in his debut Dec. 20 at the Fair Grounds.

DeVaux said during the week that she thought Golden Tempo was “a little bit more mature mentally” than Mesquite, even though Mesquite had two previous starts, including one around two turns, and Golden Tempo had just the one start and would be experiencing two turns for the first time in the Lecomte.

“I was just very patient,” Ortiz said. “I followed Mesquite until the 3/8th pole. He went outside and I went inside. Luckily, I got an opening and the horse did the rest. I’m very impressed. I was a little bit worried because you never know how a horse is going to react going two turns for the first time and he was facing stakes horses for the first time. I was very happy with him.”

Golden Tempo paid $7.40, $4.20 and $3.40, Mesquite paid $4.80 and $3.80 and Carson Street, who led for much of the race before finishing a neck behind Mesquite, paid $6.80 to show in the Grade 3 $250,000 race, claiming six qualifying points.

“He was a real pro,” Mesquite jockey Flavien Prat said of his horse. “It was a good trip and he kept coming. He’s figured out a lot. “

Chip Honcho finished fourth to earn four points, and fifth-place Quality Mischief got two points. Ocelli was scratched, leaving a 10-horse field.

In the $150,000 Silverbulletday for fillies, Taken by the Wind led virtually wire to wire and held off a persistent challenge from Luv Your Neighbor to win by a neck after covering the one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.58 and paid $10.80, $7 and $2.80

Taken by the Wind, trained by Kenneth McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., went off at 4-1 and earned 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks. Luv Your Neighbor, who paid $8.20 and $3.40, earned 10 points, and betting favorite Atropa, who paid $2.10, earned six points.

Pashmina earned four points and Dancin In Old Town earned two. DeVaux trained Atropa and White Smoke, who finished last in the six-team field.