Its nearly been two weeks since the Kentucky Derby, and 'm finally getting the chance to reflect on the rainy, cold three days I spent in Louisville. This year I had the opportunity to work alongside Laura Heald for Sports Illustrated, after working with Bill Frakes and ESPN at last year's Derby.

"There is a frozen moment, right before the start of the Kentucky Derby. It is a moment of infinite possibility, where every bet is cashed, every wish comes true and every horse runs with wings." - Tim Layden, Sports Illustrated

The thing about the Derby is that there's about two days worth of preparation for a race that lasts barely more than two minutes. You place, focus and wire your remote cameras under the rail, in the starting gate, on the roof and in the on the designated stands. With races going on all day, it makes for some early mornings and a late nights to get your work done while the horses aren't on the track. The elements made this a bit more challenging than the previous times I'd been to the race.

When you think of the Derby the pageantry, the large ornate hats and the outrageous outfits is what usually comes to mind over the horses. Those decorated hats ended up needing to be wrapt with plastic and the outfits covered in rain ponchos. A more unusual scene that the years past.

When we weren't working to prepare for the race, I seized the opportunity to wander around the grounds to photograph those who were enjoying the track in a different form. For the actual Derby is sat in the final turn with my Nikon D5 and 400mm lens to catch the horses as they came through the homestretch. 'Always Dreaming' took the race in a little over that 2 minute mark, and all that was left was to take down our cameras, process the files and pack up to go home. This marked my 3rd Derby in a row, and its always an opportunity I am looking forward to more and more each year. Even though I think I'm still finding remnants of the muddy race in my clothes and on my cameras, I can't wait to head back again next year to see those thoroughbreds race in the shadows of the Twin Spires.