Cherie DeVaux's first-ever three-win day in a stakes race helped her win the $50,000 top prize in the $100,000 trainer bonus that the Maryland Jockey Club awarded to horsemen who entered stakes races at Pimlico during Preakness weekend.
DeVaux is the first woman to take home the top prize. The native of upstate New York, who was previously the assistant to trainers Chuck Simon and Chad Brown, struck out on her own in 2018 and has since won 170 races and more than $14 million in payouts. DeVaux has won 11 graded stakes races, including the Grade 1 Natalma in 2023 with She Feels Pretty and the Derby City Distaff (G1) on May 4 with Vahva.
DeVaux entered horses in five races over the weekend, and on Friday, Black-Eyed Susan (G2) Day, she won with all three of her runners: Pyrenees in the Pimlico Special (G3), She Feels Pretty in the Hilltop, and Shotgun Hottie in the Distaff. Her two starters for the Preakness Stakes (G1) on Saturday were Beatbox, who finished ninth in the Dinner Party (G3), and Blissful, who finished fourth in the Gallorette (G3).
Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the runner-up and four-time top bonus winner, was trailed by four points when DeVaux ended with 34 points.
Trainers needed to enter a minimum of five horses in each of the 15 stakes—eight of which were graded—with prizes totalling $4.3 million during Preakness weekend to qualify for the bonus. Finishing first (10), second (seven), third (five), fourth (three), and fifth through last (one) all resulted in the accumulation of points.
The trainer who scored the highest was awarded $50,000. The next in line received $25,000, third place went to $12,000, fourth place went to $7,000, fifth place went to $2,000, and so on.
The MJC has been offering the trainer bonus program for eight years running. The top honour went to Asmussen in 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2022. Additionally leading the standings have been Brad Cox (2019), Mike Maker (2020), and Graham Motion (2023).
With almost 10,500 victories, Asmussen leads all trainers in Thoroughbred history in race wins. His results during Preakness weekend were not great; he finished second in the Hilltop with Just Ready; third and fourth in the Pimlico Special with Harlocap and Red Route One; fifth in The Very One with High Class; eighth in the Black-Eyed Susan with Recharge; and eleventh in the Miss Preakness (G3) with Closing Act. These results were all on Friday; on Saturday, he finished second with Cats by Five in the Chick Lang (G3); third with Imperial Gun in the Sir Barton and fifth with Jaxon Traveler in the Maryland Sprint (G3).
Laurel Park-centered Mike Trombetta scored 28 points to finish third. He placed third with Call Another Play in the Black-Eyed Susan and sixth with Turf Rocket in The Hilltop on Friday, he won and finished third with Future Is Now and Hollywood Walk.