Breeders' Cup Breakthrough: Cherie DeVaux and More Than Looks

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Cherie DeVaux opened her stable in 2018 and did not get her first win for almost a full year, but from there, her stable has exploded and in 2024, she earned her first Breeders' Cup win with More Than Looks in the Mile. In this episode of Breeders' Cup Breakthrough, we discuss DeVaux's rise to the top, what her first win at the World Championships meant to her and where she hopes to go from here.

Transcript

00:00They're off in the Breeders' Cup Mile.

00:05William Buick and notable speech are seven lengths behind up the back stretch,

00:08and they're clear of More Than Looks and chilly flag.

00:12More Than Looks trying to unwind from the back of the pack.

00:15More Than Looks coming. Ten happy rolls on the inside.

00:17A wild finish that goes to More Than Looks.

00:21More Than Looks gets up under Jose Ortiz to win the Breeders' Cup Mile.

00:26More Than Looks.

00:56More Than Looks was one that he ran in the Breeders' Cup as a three-year-old the year prior.

01:04He ran a great race. He just was left with a lot to do and still came with a monstrous run.

01:10And then going into the race, you know, that year we had a limited campaign.

01:15He got hurt and then the weather.

01:17So it's very rare that things work out throughout the process.

01:21I said, we're just going to stick to the plan.

01:23The plan is to win the Breeders' Cup.

01:26So walking out to the paddock, it's the time when I'm nervous and everyone's around.

01:31And all I could think of is, God, I hope the plan works out.

01:34At the top of the stretch when he kicked in, and I could just remember him lugging in.

01:40And I thought, come on, man, change your lead and go, you goofball.

01:43And when he did it, I mean, all the things.

01:45The crowd's shaking and you're just emotional.

01:49And, yeah, I just remember thinking, he's going to get there.

01:52We're going to win it.

01:53And then he got in front, and that was that.

01:56Ten happy rolls on the inside.

01:59A wild finish that goes to More Than Looks.

02:02More Than Looks gets up under Jose Ortiz to win the Breeders' Cup.

02:07Mile.

02:09Well, growing up, I was never involved in thoroughbred racing.

02:12Really didn't know much about this realm until I was in college.

02:18And I just needed a job, and I started as a hot walker.

02:20That's really my first thought about doing this whole time was just really wanting to

02:25become an exercise rider, and it morphed from there.

02:29As a professional to get a Breeders' Cup winner, I'm going to be honest and say I didn't really

02:33think it would happen so quickly.

02:35So our first Breeders' Cup, we had one.

02:37It was Tarabi, and it was a great experience.

02:40Just hit the board.

02:42It's hard because when you go there, you're, like, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and there's

02:45so much action, and there's so much going on.

02:47And after that year, I promised myself that if I were fortunate enough to go again, I would

02:51focus on more enjoying it than just being nervous and worrisome, because that's not

02:57going to change anything.

02:58The amount of work that it takes to get there, I don't, I think is underestimated.

03:04The amount of disappointments and the highs, the lows, the preparation.

03:09Any race is hard to win, much less a stakes race, and much less a championship race.

03:15And that's really what my focus is on every day, is how can we continue doing what we've

03:21done to make us successful and make it better?

03:24I want to win many Breeders' Cups.

03:26I want our team to enjoy many highs.

03:30I can say I'm really proud of where we are.

03:32And I am really excited to look forward to where we continue on going.

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