SW Florida loves the Kentucky Derby. The TV ratings prove it

Ed Reed, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily NewsWed, May 6, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC

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Southwest Florida loves its horse racing.

The TV ratings prove it.

According to NBC, Fort Myers was the No. 2 TV market in the nation for the race with a 20.1 and 55 share between 7 and 7:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, as Golden Tempo won the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby. Fort Myers was the only Florida market in the top 10 based on preliminary Nielsen ratings.

The top market — Louisville, naturally, with a 25.3 rating and 68 share.

The race also ended up having a Southwest Florida flair as Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux grew up in Englewood and attended FGCU.

Who is Cherie DeVaux? First female trainer to win Kentucky Derby

Golden Tempo stands for a photo with trainer Cherie DeVaux the day after winning the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sunday, May 3, 2026.

DeVaux, 44, made history as the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner. Before her, only 19 starters have been trained by women.

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DeVaux attended Florida Gulf Coast University from 2000 to 2002, then went on to the University of Albany in New York, according to her LinkedIn profile.

On Facebook, she lists her hometown as Englewood, where she graduated from Lemon Bay High School.

Who owns Golden Tempo?

Golden Tempo is owned by both St. Elias Stable and Phipps Stable.

St. Elias Stable is owned by Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola, one of the world’s richest people with a reported net worth of around $7 billion, according to Forbes.

Phipps Stable is a family-owned legacy stable, with a previous Kentucky Derby win under its belt. In 2013, the late Ogden Mills Phipps led the stable to victory with Orb.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: SW FL watched as Cherie DeVaux and Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby

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Source: “AOL Sports”