December 2023 Member of the Month: Cherie DeVaux
Cherie DeVaux is the TOBA December Member of the Month.
Cherie DeVaux is experiencing a year unlike any other. So far in 2023, she’s more than doubled her 2022 earnings, raking in over $4.7 million. The trainer also garnered her first grade 1 win, and she headed to the Breeders’ Cup with three strong contenders.
Of her personal earnings best, DeVaux said, “I mean, it’s just been fantastic, and it’s not really something that was a goal of ours for the very beginning of the year. We just want to continue to grow and do well and compete at the high level and hopefully win a few of these big races along the way, but this year has exceeded any expectation that I had set out for this year.” Those achievements included two-year-old She Feels Pretty winning the Sept. 16 Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine.
“It was unexpected,” DeVaux revealed. “We were planning to run in the [Aug. 30] P. G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga and even discussed maybe running her on the dirt, but ultimately decided not to do that and run in the Natalma, and it was a Plan B. And so again, just wasn’t really expecting, trying to keep our expectations within reason.” She added, “I watched it on my iPad all by myself at Churchill and was screaming like a crazy person.”
“She’s further ahead mentally than she is physically,” DeVaux shared of the Karakontie filly. Bred in Kentucky by Payson Stud Inc., she races for Lael Stables. She Feels Pretty ran third in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).
In contrast, three-year-old More Than Looks has taken some time to mature. He broke his maiden in February, then competed in maiden special weights and allowance races until annexing the July 7 Manila Stakes (G3T). “He’s always been physically there,” DeVaux explained, adding that he’s been a bit immature mentally until recently, which has “affected him in some races.” The Hinkle Farms-bred colt finished third in the Aug. 11 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T).
More Than Looks wasn’t in contention for the Breeders’ Cup until he won the Sept. 30 Jefferson Cup Stakes. “It was the first time he showed that maturity,” DeVaux said, where “he could just run and keep his head down. But he’s trained forwardly from that race, and he looks great. He’s shown a lot of promise, like I said. But he was just one we were really trying to let mature because it has taken him every bit of that until now to get that.” For owners Victory Racing Partners, he finished sixth in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile presented by PDJF (G1T).
Stage Raider is a bit of a different story. “He came to us with a different expectation, way different than where we are now. He had shown a lot of promise in his career and had run some really brilliant races. Being a half to Justify, obviously the expectations of him moving forward into stakes company were high, especially with how he started his career.” He moved from trainer Chad Brown’s barn—where DeVaux worked for years before hanging out her own shingle—to DeVaux’s stable earlier in the year.
Since then, Stage Raider has blossomed, getting his first black type win in the Aug. 13 R.A. Cowboy Jones Stakes. “And he ran a very nice race, especially after he had just, I think, in June as his last race, where he kind of just galloped around there,” she said. Then, he placed in the Sept. 30 Ack Ack Stakes (G3). “He ran back to his form in the Ack Ack and he’s doing fantastic. He’s one that—it’s his world and we’re living in it. It’s not vice versa,” DeVaux said. Stage Raider ran sixth in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Kentucky-based DeVaux has about 85 horses in training. With her husband, bloodstock agent David Ingordo, she also selects promising fillies (whom she then conditions) for Belladonna Racing. Begun in 2019, the partnership has already achieved success, co-campaigning Vahva to consecutive graded wins this year.
DeVaux commented, “Again, that’s a teamwork effort between David, myself, and the managing partner Paul Manganaro. The concept of Belladonna is what got my career started, and a lot of the first partners were new to the sport.” She added that “David and Paul both kind of leave me to manage the horses. That’s my part, is to train and make the decisions that are best for the partnership, and their role is to keep everyone informed and have the discussions and try to get everyone to understand why the decisions that are being made are being made, and I think it’s a great working relationship between the three of us.”
