The best sports photos of 2020 from Getty Images

12. The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby

Authentic, ridden by jockey John Velazquez leads the field around the first turn during the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Sep.5, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby was held without fans due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For a sporting event that normally is buzzing with fans, the Kentucky Derby is plain bizarre without them. What would normally be a 30-minute walk from the media room to turn one, was maybe seven minutes without a crowd to work through. This image was from a remote camera, which I had set up two not far from each other to get the horses as they left turn one. I was concerned about lighting on this day since the event is typically scheduled during the springtime, but with COVID-19 this year’s event was scheduled in September. I was sitting in turn one shooting the horses handheld as they entered turn one, and at the same time I was pushing another button to start triggering the remote cameras. One of them never fired, but thankfully this one did. I was incredibly happy to see the eventual winner of the race was leading the pack out of turn one, which makes this image even better.

— Gregory Shamus