I arrived at the track early and enjoyed a few minutes before the festivities began. There’s nothing like being at Churchill Downs, especially when you are right under the twin spires. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The weekend after Belmont is the traditional time when the Kentucky Derby-winning connections get their trophies, but before they had a chance to take them home, fans get to see them. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Soon after the gates opened for the night’s racing, the Derby trophy area became a popular hangout area. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The night’s theme was a white party and everyone was dressed to the nines in their best white outfits. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The paddock looked like a New York Fashion Week party at times with everyone enjoying the races. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Even the littlest fans were all dressed up as they watched the racehorses. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Before we knew it the horses came over for the first stakes race of the night, the Matt Winn. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The headliner of the race was Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Gun Runner. He was making his first start since the Derby and looked ready to run. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The closer he got to the paddock, the bigger Gun Runner grew. I’m pretty sure he grew a hand (horse speak for four inches) on the walk over. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
It was a nice night out and the track was packed, with a few of the upper floor decks full of fans. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
It didn’t take long for Gun Runner to go to the lead in the 1 1/16-mile race after they broke from the gate; he was in control of the field nearly immediately. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
By the time they got back to the stretch, Gun Runner was an easy victor. He pulled away to win by a solid 5 ¼ lengths. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
After his winner’s circle presentation, we went back in time to five weeks ago when Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Doug O’Neill alternated between watching the Derby replay on the big screen and Songbird’s live race on his phone. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
By the time the Derby horses came into the stretch, Songbird had won and Doug soaked in the memory of winning his second Kentucky Derby. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Behind the winner’s circle, O’Neill had his own little fan club who cheered him on during the presentation. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
And in front of it, 2014’s champion 3-year-old filly and Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable was headed to the paddock for the Fleur de Lis Handicap. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
As Untapable and the other five fillies and mares in the field prepared for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff Win and You’re In race, O’Neill received his newly engraved Kentucky Derby trophy. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
In the paddock, Paid Up Subscriber seemed to be soaking up the attention her connections gave her while she was saddled. She didn’t seem to mind getting her picture taken either. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
After winning multiple stakes at Woodbine over the last few years, Brooklynsway has branched out into the U.S. graded stakes scene this year. Both she and her groom have obviously learned how to pose for the cameras in the paddock. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Waiting for the field to come onto the track after I left the paddock, I saw people holding a few Nyquist saddle towels. It turns out, Doug O’Neill had signed quite a few of them after the trophy presentation. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Before I could find out more about the signed cloths I had to turn my attention back to the races when the horses came onto the track. Engaginglee looked like she was enjoying the experience. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The first time by the finish line, Big Book led the field under a nearly full moon that had been hidden by the “Big Board” in previous races. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The second time by, Paid Up Subscriber raced her way into the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff with a three-length victory in the race. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The race also ended an era with Untapable returning after the race to get unsaddled for the final time. It was announced Sunday night that the champion Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner has been retired. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
As Untapable made her way back to the barn for the final time, Paid Up Subscriber and Ricardo Santana Jr. took a few seconds to celebrate by themselves. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
In addition to the hardware that comes with winning the Fleur de Lis, Paid Up Subscriber’s connections earned a lot of Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” swag. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
I’m not sure anyone is as excited about earning an automatic berth to the Breeders’ Cup as these two. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
While waiting for the next race to come over, I looked behind me and saw the popular pony Harley posing perfectly. Harley is a regular on the Kentucky circuit and I’ve joked with his rider that he has the photographers trained. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
But our attention was quickly redirected the other way as we saw a huge chestnut gelding walking over. Wise Dan was on his toes and looked like he’d happily be tacked up for the race. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Wise Dan’s accomplishments are too long to list here but the two-time Horse of the Year was at the track to parade before the race that had been renamed in his honor this year. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Thatcher Street and his groom looked thrilled to be walking over with a Breeders’ Cup winner. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
One horse who probably wasn’t thrilled to see Wise Dan in the paddock was Za Approval. The two had bumped heads during Wise Dan’s career with Wise Dan coming out on top every time. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
As post time approached, Wise Dan was ready to run and not too happy that he’d be staying behind as the rest of the field headed out. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
There was a big crowd on hand as the Wise Dan field paraded in front of the stands before the turf race. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
Pleuven earned his first graded stakes victory in the race when he beat Kasaqui by three-quarters of a length in the twilight. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
When Pleuven and Channing Hill returned to the winner’s circle, he got a big pat from his jockey … (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
… Then a huge hug from one of his connections and he seemed to soak up the attention. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The next race of the evening was the headliner, the Stephen Foster Handicap. A “Win and You’re In” for the Breeders’ Cup Classic, last year’s Classic runner-up Effinex was the favorite and he was on his toes for the race. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
As the Stephen Foster field prepared for the race, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft held a fashion show right outside the paddock. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
There was everything from the extremely colorful … (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
… To outfits with wings (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
And everything in between. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
With about 13 minutes to post after the fashion show ended, I headed back out to the track to get ready for the horses coming out. International Star led the post parade. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
There was some excitement pre-race when Bradester decided that he didn’t need the post parade and would rather head to the gate. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
We probably should have taken the cue that Bradester was ready to run as he led wire-to-wire to win his first Grade 1 race. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
A popular horse in trainer Eddie Kenneally’s barn, his staff celebrated the win while waiting for Bradester to come back. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
When jockey Joe Bravo and Bradester returned, Bravo was eager to praise the horse and said Bradester reminded him of his Grade 1 winning sire, Lion Heart, who Bravo had ridden. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The victory secured Bradester a spot in the November Breeders’ Cup Classic and his connections posed with his prizes for the win.
In the final stakes race of the night, Auntie Joy, who finished third to Catch a Glimpse on Kentucky Oaks day, got her win on the turf in the Regret to end a great night of racing. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
To end the night, Churchill Downs hosted a concert that had a jam-packed crowd in front of the stage. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
The party continued until nearly midnight with everyone looking like they’d stay all night if the track let them. (Melissa Bauer-Herzog/America's Best Racing)
