Golden Tempo, ridden by Jose Ortiz, put together a remarkable comeback to win the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Additionally, Cherie DeVaux made history, becoming the first female trainer to ever win the Kentucky Derby.
Here’s how the finish looked on the NBC broadcast, with Larry Collmus on the call:
Golden Tempo wins the 152nd Kentucky Derby!
And Cherie DeVaux becomes the first female trainer to ever win the Kentucky Derby!
Larry Collmus had the call for NBC. 🏇🏆🎙️pic.twitter.com/zD5oxszhkm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 2, 2026
And after the race concluded, NBC showed an overhead angle of the race that beautifully displayed the insane effort from Golden Tempo to go from last place to first place to secure the Kentucky Derby victory.
NBC host Mike Tirico and analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss couldn’t believe Golden Tempo’s journey from last to first as they watched the overhead replay.
NBC shows Golden Tempo going from last place to first place to win the Kentucky Derby.
Mike Tirico: “The numbers on how far he ran are going to be amazing, right? Wow!” pic.twitter.com/Z8EiCBZdlM https://t.co/gQYqkuoCHB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 3, 2026
“There he is,” Bailey said, identifying Golden Tempo in last place.
“Oh my gosh,” Tirico said.
“He’s already starting to move now down the backside,” Bailey continued. “He was five or six behind the last horse. Great ground-saving trip by Jose Ortiz. Sometimes when you’re that far back, Mike, everybody makes their decision already, and you’re left a lot of open lanes. Now, he’ll shift him out, as he knows he’s going to run into trouble if he doesn’t, and he takes aim on his brother (Irad Ortiz Jr., riding runner-up Renegade). And what a tremendous kick by Golden Tempo!”
“That’s a lot of ground to make up in the stretch of the Kentucky Derby!” Moss said. “He’s seven or eight lengths back at the top of the stretch still!”
“The numbers on how far he ran are going to be amazing, right?” Tirico added. “Wow! And this is the pedigree of this horse. He has been dead last or second to last in almost every race he’s run, but made a charge like this, in a moment like this. A historic moment!”
What a comeback by Golden Tempo, and what a shot by NBC to show it off.
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.