(Kingsbarns / All Photos by Holly M. Smith)

Editor’s Note:

We are now moving at light speed towards the 2023 and 149th Kentucky Derby. No better person to capture the moment(s) in forever memory than our own great friend and artist Holly M. Smith.

Every morn, she wakes just a bit earlier and journeys out to Churchill Downs to wrestle the light and the background to fight the perfect angle and the right image.

Every morn, she is able to do what most of us can only appreciate: paint the picture of the moment in forever photos.

Here’s a few of her looks from Thursday morning:

Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott on horseback:

The Morning Riders:

Hoosier Philly:

Wet Paint is…hmmm…wet:

The Alys Look: 

Botanical:

Jockey Chris Landeros & Agent Bryson Cox:

Hit Show: 

Forte:

Botanical in Black & White:

Flashy Gem:

Botanical & Flashy Gem, in action:

Classy Edition & Wardeya, in action:

Wet Paint, before action:

Southlawn: 

More Wet Paint:

Kingsbarns:

Kingsbarns & Major Dude: