Thousands of revelers poured into Churchill Downs in Louisville for the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2026, including longtime attendees Larry Birkhead and his daughter Dannielynn, 19, whose mom was late model and actress Anna Nicole Smith.
After Smith died of an accidental overdose in September 2007, Larry was left to be a single dad to five-month-old Dannielynn, per People. The dad-and-daughter duo have built a tradition of attending the horse race and pre-parties each year since Dannielynn was little. But during an interview with Access Hollywood, Larry admitted the 2026 list may very well be their last.
Larry Birkhead Says ‘This Could Be the End of Our Photo Book’ After Years of Attending the Kentucky Derby With Dannielynn
Larry and Dannielynn, who debuted her new “goth-rock style” at the Barnestable Brown Party the night before the 2026 race, sat down with Access Hollywood in coordinated black outfits, including a suit jacket for Danny with sequined lightning bolts, which his daughter picked out for him.
They’ve been staples at the Derby since Dannielynn was just three, according to Today.com, but now that she is spreading her wings as a college student, Larry acknowledged they may not be back.
“She’s almost 20 years old and there’s cooler people to hang out with me,” Larry told Access Hollywood. “We’ve really done this … and it’s been a tradition and I think it’s something that we don’t know if we’re going to do it again, ever. So this could be, like, the end of our photo book. We don’t know. But we had one hell of a scrapbook if we (don’t return).”
GettyLarry also noted that the Derby will always land during finals week for Dannielynn, who just finished her freshman year at an undisclosed college. Larry said, “I think that is something that we’ll come up against.”
Thinking back on their many wardrobe choices for the Derby over the years, he added, “But at the end of the day, I think that we’ve had a great time at it. Never say never, but we’re out of colors and ideas.”
Dannielynn told Access Hollywood that stepping away from the spotlight sounds good to her, explaining, “Actually, I kind of want to step away. I just kind of want to focus more on school and as school ends, career choice, like hang out with friends and people I love.”
“I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve had and being able to talk with you and share stories,” she continued, “but I’m more of like a stay at home and hide under my blanket type of person.”
Larry Birkhead Emotionally Says Attending the Kentucky Derby Has Been a Way to Honor Anna Nicole Smith
GettyPerhaps the hardest part of not returning to the Kentucky Derby would be missing the way it provides Larry and Dannielynn with an annual tradition to honor Anna Nicole Smith’s memory.
Noting that he and Smith met at the annual Barnestable Brown Party held the night before the Derby, he and Dannielynn enjoy attending to supports diabetes research at the University of Kentucky, he said, but added that it’s also an emotional night for him.
“(Attending is) a way to pay tribute and to keep … Anna’s memory and spirit alive in my heart,” he told Access Hollywood, getting choked up. “It makes me me feel proud when I see (Dannielynn) walk up the steps of the same place that I met her mom, and I’m not going to cry about it. But just to be able to share that moment and the tradition, create new memories, it’s special.”
The post Larry Birkhead Reveals the 2026 Kentucky Derby Was Likely His & Daughter Dannielynn’s Last appeared first on EntertainmentNow.