Diana Robinson – Blog | Diana Robinson Photography

Great Last Few Days in Baltimore at the Preakness

May 19, 2013

This is the winning jockey Gary Stevens celebrating his victory after crossing the finish line on his colt Oxbow.

Oxbow took an early lead out of the gate and never let up. He and jockey Kevin Krigger rode neck and neck for a while.

A very excited Gary Stevens showed a lot of emotion at the end of the race.

He even patted Oxbow affectionately.

With all eyes on Orb before race began, Oxbow made his unassuming entrance.

I took this shot of Oxbow trainer D. Wayne Lucas in Louisville two weeks ago at the Kentucky Derby. He had a lot of reasons to smile at the Preakness.

139th Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks

May 9, 2013

Horses rounding the first turn of the race. Orb is the horse on the left.

Mud spattered Jockey Joel Rosario and winning horse Orb rounding the turn after crossing the finish line.

View of the first turn with the Churchill Downs spires in the background. I triggered this D4 70mm shot from my D3s.

Rear view of the horses and jockeys as they round the second turn.

A scene from “the backside,” where the barns are located. It’s called the backside because it’s located on the opposite side of the track from the grandstands. More than 40 barns are tucked into a tight space, and a lot of the grooming, horseshoeing and so on takes place out in the open. Horses train in the early morning hours and the backside is a flurry of activity well before dawn.

Getting new shoes in the backside in the morning.

Washing the horses in the backside in the morning.

I took this in the Paddock at Churchill Downs. The horses are brought from the track through a tunnel under the grandstand into the Paddock. There the horses are marched around several times for the crowd that gathers around. The jockeys come in and mount the horses, go back through the tunnel to the track and starting line. It’s a great place to photograph the horses, jockeys and owners and their families who gather in the center of the Paddock.

Derby Jockeys and Trainers

May 9, 2013

I took these photos of trainer D. Wayne Lucas at the barns on the backside in the early morning. At age 77 he’s one of the most successful horse trainers in racing.

Trainer D. Wayne Lucas holding forth at the barns on the backside of Churchill Downs.

Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey, III (on the right) is an American Hall of Fame thoroughbred horse trainer. I took this photo of him with Joel Rosario, the Kentucky Derby winning jockey.