The 151st Kentucky Derby is in the books, but in this post, I’ll share some photos I took at Churchill Downs, the track at which the race is run, back in April. This is the first of my 2025 Kentucky trip posts. Click here to see my previous Kentucky posts.
2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro’s final resting place is outside at Churchill Downs. The statue makes a beautiful subject at dawn.
Just a couple of the track’s barn cats!
Trainer Helen Pitts accompanies one of her charges to the track on her pony.
Japanese Kentucky Derby contender Admire Daytona heads off the track after galloping. The Yukihiro Cato trainee finished in last place.
Louisiana-bred Smoken Wicked ran in the Grade II Pat Day Mile Stakes on Derby day, where he finished sixth.
Wilson Fabian exercises a Steve Asmussen trainee. Asmussen sent out Tiztastic and Publisher in this year’s Derby, who finished 10th and 14th, respectively.
Steve Asmussen trainee Zeitlos, ridden by Roberto Howell, is ponied by Asmussen’s assistant Scott Blasi.
A Bill Mott trainee pauses to take in the surroundings. Mott won the Derby for the second time this year with Sovereignty.
A long exposure panning technique used in this photo of a Dale Romans trainee makes the background look blurred.
I used that same technique to get this photo of a Mott trainee.
A Michael McCarthy trainee is jogged on the track. McCarthy sent out Derby favorite Journalism, who finished second behind Sovereignty.
A Kenny McPeek trainee comes around the first turn. McPeek won the Derby last year with Mystik Dan. This year he sent out Render Judgment, who finished 17th.
Assistant trainer and exercise rider Donnie Balthazar is all smiles as he exercises an Al Stall trainee.
A trio of horses gallop around the first turn.
An Al Stall trainee jogs by.
A Lonnie Briley trainee is exercised on the track. Briley sent out fan favorite Coal Battle in the Derby this year, who finished 11th.
Outriders have a very important job on the track. Some call them the police officers of the track, as they work to keep everyone safe. The outriders are the ones who catch loose horses.
A trio of horses jog out on the track.
A striking gray Phil Bauer trainee jogs past.
A Cherie DeVaux trainee jogs out on the track. DeVaux is on the rise as a trainer, having won her first Breeders’ Cup race last year with More Than Looks in the Mile.
As the sun came out, the horses and riders casted shadows on the dirt. I love a good shadow in a shot.
Katie Tolbert exercises a Brad Cox trainee. Cox won the Derby in 2021 with Mandaloun. This year he sent out Final Gambit, who finished a respectable fourth.
Bath time on the backside!
Derby contender Burnham Square looks out from his stall in the Ian Wilkes barn. Burnham Square finished sixth in the Run for the Roses.
Looking through the Kentucky Derby starting gate, a special 20-post gate used just for the one race, the twin spires can be seen in the background.
A wider view of the gate shows its size.
The twin spires are an iconic landmark in horse racing. In between them is the sign showing the year of the first Derby (1875) and the present one.
A horse gallops around the far turn.
Carlos Roses and another exercise rider gallop two Asmussen trainees.
As a horse and pony rider jog on the track, a large Churchill Downs sign is seen in the background.
Mott trainee Bendoog, a multiple Grade I winner in Dubai, jogs out on the track.
The farrier has an important job at the track, keeping the horses’ hooves trimmed and shoeing them. As the saying goes, no hoof, no horse.
Derby contender Flying Mohawk snacks on some hay in the barn of Whit Beckman. Flying Mohawk finished 18th in the race.
Horses are often grazed in the afternoon or after training.
The 9th Triple Crown winner, none other than Secretariat, was stabled in this stall when he came to Churchill Downs to win the Kentucky Derby in 1973. The super horse set a track record that still stands today, and his time of 1:59.4 is one of only three Kentucky Derby times faster than two minutes. The second fastest Kentucky Derby time, and one of the other two times faster than two minutes, is Secretariat’s runner up Sham.
Another bath in the sun after training.
A panorama of the newly renovated paddock, where the horses are saddled before the race.
Bonus #1: While I didn’t see Derby winner Sovereignty while I was at Churchill Downs, I did see him at Saratoga last summer and fall. Below are a few photos of him. The first is him in the post parade for his debut race where he finished fourth. He was piloted by jockey Junior Alvarado, who led him to victory in the Run for the Roses. I will share some photos of him here this spring in a subsequent post.
Bonus #2: Every year, I make drawings with the fields for some of the major Grade I races in the U.S. Here is my drawing for this year’s Derby.
Bonus #3: I recently made a video highlighting my Kentucky trip in three minutes. Email subscribers, click here to watch the video.
To see more of my equine photography be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook. All photos, illustrations, and videos in this post © Samantha Decker and may not be reused without permission.
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Beautiful pictures!