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1/800 second at f/4.5 |
I really need a faster lens for this kind of shot, but a lot of time behind the viewfinder has helped me understand how to push the camera when I have to.
My vantage point was the winner's circle at Churchill Downs, where you can't see any part of the race except the finish. He is a striking colt, though not at all flattered by mud. At the moment he is the only 3-year-old on the planet with a chance to win the Triple Crown.
Maybe the best, and certainly the most loved turf writer ever, the late Joe Hirsch, always told us forget picking a winner, root for the best story. Joe would have loved this. Trainer Shug McGaughey capped a stellar career with this first Derby win for owners and breeders Stuart Janney III and Dinny Phipps.