Kentucky
Anna Nicole Smith's daughter and her dad make their annual Kentucky Derby trip: See their outfits through the years
For the late Anna Nicole Smith’s 18-year-old daughter, Dannielynn Birkhead, the Kentucky Derby is a family tradition.
Dannielynn gets all dressed up to attend the fashion-forward horse race with her father, Larry Birkhead. The tradition started in 2010 when she was just 3 years old, and posts of the day have become fan favorites.
This year, Dannielynn and her dad kicked off Derby weekend in style. In an Instagram post on Friday, May 2, Larry Birkhead shared a series of photos of him and his daughter together at 2025 Barnstable Brown Gala.
In caption of his post, Larry revealed that his daughter was wearing the same evening gown that her mother, Anna Nicole Smith, wore 21 years ago when she attended the same gala.
“Life full circle,” he captioned the post. “She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom’s and ‘super cool.’”
In a 2022 interview with the Courier Journal, Larry Birkhead explained why it means so much for him and his daughter to go to the Kentucky Derby together.
“It’s our ‘one day a year’ outing that we do publicly,” he said. “And I think you guys probably can take pictures and watch her grow from just this event … there’s a lot of people that are interested in things because of her mother, and I don’t let her fall into that. I just say, ‘Hey, let’s do one thing a year (and) let people see how you are.’”
Dannielynn was only five months old when Smith died in February 2007 after accidentally overdosing on prescription drugs. Five different men claimed to be Dannielynn’s father, but after a DNA test, Larry was legally designated as her father.
Dannielynn spent a relatively private childhood with Larry in their Kentucky home. But the father-daughter duo step into the spotlight on this one special day.
Let’s look back on Dannielynn and her dad at the Kentucky Derby through the years.
2010
Larry Birkead brought his daughter to the Kentucky Derby when she was 3 years old.
Dressed all in pink, Dannielynn looked thrilled by the cameras … and reassured by having her father nearby.
2011
Dannielynn sipped her kid’s drink like a lady when she attended the festivities in 2011, wearing a fun animal-print dress.
2012
Dressed in sunshine yellow at the 138th Kentucky Derby, Dannielynn sweetly gave her dad a giant smooch. Of course, her cute cow puppet is along for the ride.
2013
Is there anything sweeter than Larry and Dannielynn dressed up as Bert and Mary Poppins for the Kentucky Derby? After all, both feature a horse race!
2014
The family tradition continued to bloom when Dannielynn was 7. The floral bodice, tulle skirt and butterfly shoes signal her creativity. Larry sweetly echoes his daughter’s color choices in his striped tie.
2015
From bright colors to pastels, Dannielynn sports a slightly more grown-up look in 2015. Doing a complete 180 from last year, she wore a very demure pale pink dress and carried a sequin purse with flowers on it.
2016
An updo seems perfectly fitting for this elegant young lady who is wearing a light grey dress with pink flowers. With a grey suit, pink shirt and jaunty tie, Larry matches her exactly.
2017
Stunning as ever at the age of 10, Dannielynn looks like a perfect English rose in a pink dress with matching fascinator.
2018
Dannielynn and Larry change up their color palette by switching to blues in 2018. Just as she did last year, Dannielynn wore a fit-and-flare dress with a 1950s silhouette. Larry looks like the perfect parental escort in plaid.
2019
The pair switched back to bubble gum pink in 2019. Dannielynn looked right at home on the red carpet.
2020
The Triple Crown event was postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19. It was ultimately held in September without any spectators, so Dannielynn and Larry had to sit this one out.
2021
In their return to the race in 2021, Dannielynn wore a rhinestone face mask that perfectly coordinated with her JOVANI suit.
“She cleaned out the chocolate brownies, ice cream and nachos while at the same time critiquing my outfit,” Larry wrote on Instagram of his then 14-year-old daughter.
2022
Dannielynn was all color and joy in 2022, while Larry’s neutrals really let her grab the spotlight.
Along with two photos posing with his daughter, Larry posted an old snap of Smith giving her best pout for the camera on Instagram.
“Saw this pic of Anna and thought Dannielynn looked like her twin!” he added in the caption.
2023
The 2023 Kentucky Derby marked a special year for Larry, as it was his 20th anniversary of meeting Smith.
At the Barnstable Brown Derby Eve Gala, Dannielynn paid tribute to her mom by wearing a long-sleeved black and white top printed with a pattern of photos of Smith from her famous Guess campaign. Larry’s tie included the same print of Smith from his daughter’s shirt.
At the Derby itself, Dannielynn’s fashion sense was in full bloom with her flower-themed gown. Dad Larry Birkhead, as always, matched his look to hers.
2024
Last year, Larry detailed his Kentucky Derby weekend on social media. Dannielynn wore a bright red dress with puffy sleeves and a matching feathered headpiece. Larry shared that the ensemble was “inspired by her favorite character Hino Eiji, Kamen Rider OOO TaJaDor combo.”
He added, “Hey whatever works, just trying to spend a little quality time as this weekend of traditions come to a close…”
2025
This year, Dannielynn decided to pay tribute to her mother when she attended the annual Barnstable Brown Gala on the eve of the Kentucky Derby with her dad.
For the gala, she wore the same dress that her mother wore 21 years ago when she attended the same event.
“Life full circle,” Larry Birkhead captioned the post. “She said she chose the dress because it was her Mom’s and ‘super cool.’”
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Recent heavy rainfall has left soil across the state completely soaked, contributing to localized flooding in some areas.
When rain falls, some water soaks into the ground through a process called percolation.
Soil can only hold a limited amount of water. Once the small air spaces within the soil fill with water, the ground becomes saturated and additional rainfall has nowhere to go.
Soil type plays a role in how quickly water drains.
Much of Kentucky has clay-heavy soil, which is made up of very small, flat particles packed tightly together.
That composition makes it harder for water to move through. In clay soil, water may drain at a rate of only 0.02 to 0.17 inches per hour.
When rainfall comes down faster than the ground can absorb it and water cannot drain into a stream or storm drain quickly enough, it begins to build up.
That buildup is what leads to localized flooding.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Cyclosporiasis is a microscopic parasite that can contaminate food and water — is making people sick across several states, including Kentucky.
Dr. Patricia Tellez-Watson said, the illness is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis and spreads when someone ingests contaminated food or water. “It is an intestinal infection caused by this water-borne, food-borne microscopic parasite,” she said.
Symptoms can include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
Tellez-Watson said, cases are often sporadic, but outbreaks can happen — especially during hot, wet months, when the parasite can survive in the environment long enough to become infectious.
Health experts recommend taking extra precautions with food and water. Washing hands and thoroughly rinsing produce before eating or cooking can reduce risk.
Watson also urged people to be cautious with fresh produce, particularly pre-packaged items, and to consider using bottled water.
Officials have confirmed cases in Bowling Green, though it’s unclear how many.
Copyright 2026 WBKO. All rights reserved.
What will Moeller’s Matt Ponatoski bring to Kentucky football, baseball?
Hear what Moeller senior had to say about signing to play football and baseball at the University of Kentucky.
Dual-sport star and Moeller alum Matt Ponatoski’s final decision still awaits, but signs are pointing towards Lexington, KY.
After committing to the University of Kentucky as both a quarterback and pitcher, Ponatoski was selected in the 18th round (No. 542 overall) of the 2026 MLB Draft by the hometown Cincinnati Reds. While Ponatoski was ranked No. 208 on the MLB’s draft board and expected to be selected higher, doubts around whether he intended to go pro this year caused his stock to fall.
Ponatoksi has until the MLB’s signing deadline on July 27 to make a final decision, but the Moeller product has seemingly signaled his intention to stick with the University of Kentucky. He enrolled at the University of Kentucky on Wednesday, July 15, per a Kentucky Sports Radio report, indicating he will join the Wildcats football team in the fall.
The Man of Moeller was just the third player in the history of the Gatorade Player of the Year award to win for two different sports in the same season. Doing so in his junior year, he joined Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss and National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer.
For Wildcats football, Ponatoski would come in as a four-star quarterback prospect and helped give new head coach Will Stein a top-25 recruiting class in the nation. He threw just one interception in his senior season for the Moeller Crusaders, completing 66% of his passes for 2,395 yards and 28 touchdowns.
For Kentucky baseball, Ponatoski would join up with fellow freshman and former Louisville Trinity pitcher Grayson Willoughby, who won Kentucky Mr. Baseball and withdrew his name from the draft. Willoughby, a top-rated pitching prospect, felt MLB teams were attempting to low-ball him and thus chose to stick with the Wildcats. Ponatoski is fresh from a season leading Moeller to the state championship game, recording a 1.37 ERA on the year.
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