“When I bought my first home here in 1996, I claimed Louisville as my city,” an emotional Donna Barton Brothers said. “Thank you for claiming me back. I appreciate it.”
After her 26th and final Kentucky Derby broadcast, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg proclaimed May 11 as "Donna Barton Brothers Day" and named trainer Cherie DeVaux an honorary citizen of Louisville during a May 11 news conference at Metro Hall.
“It’s a great day to honor two legends, two pioneers in the world of horse racing who just excelled on the world stage this past weekend and have done so much leading up to this weekend,” Greenberg said. He described Brothers and DeVaux as individuals who have “helped build the sport” and will help “lead it into the next generation.”
Brothers picked Golden Tempo for her Kentucky Derby pick and joined trainer Cherie DeVaux on the historic walkover before the race. “I know how hard Cherie has worked to get to this point,” she said. “I wanted to make sure that even though her horse was a long shot, that she was taken seriously.”
When Golden Tempo surged home under Jose Ortiz, with Irad Ortiz Jr. second on Renegade, Brothers called it “a win all the way around.”
“But not just for women in horse racing,” she said. “I think it was just really big for horse racing.”
Mayor Greenberg remarked that DeVaux entered the history books the moment Golden Tempo hit the wire. Despite her New York roots and Florida upbringing, he declared that she is now "forever one of us" in the city of Louisville.
“No one will ever forget the images of you screaming at the top of your lungs, ‘Come on, Jose,’ down the backstretch. We were all screaming with you,” said Mayor Greenberg.
Donna Brothers’ career has long been intertwined with Louisville. She rode from 1987 to 1998 and retired in 1998 as the second leading female jockey in the United States by money earned. She still holds that title, with 1,130 wins and more than $18 million in purse earnings. In 1999, she started working in broadcasting, and since 2000, she has been a sports analyst and commentator for NBC Sports.
“Donna has been breaking barriers in the racing world for more than three decades,” Greenberg said. “Horse racing is truly in her blood.”
Brothers added, “Well, I did win over 1,100 races. It’s worth noting that my mother won over 1,200. So Mom, well done.”
This story was originally published by Paulick Report on May 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Paulick Report as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
