Closet Confection: Off to the Races w/ America’s Best Racing

Hello, Lovelies!

I hope you all had wonderful Labor Day weekends.  I personally had a great time, thanks to the AMAZING folks over at America’s Best Racing. To kick-off the long weekend, they invited a group of bloggers up to Saratoga Race Course to get the full VIP treatment. I’d never been to a horse race before, so I went in with zero expectations and wound up having an absolute blast.

My first major hurdle was figuring out what to wear to a race track.  We were instructed to pull out all the stops and don our finest racing attire.  So I made a beeline for eBay to scope out the perfect fascinator to go with my citrus-print dress.  While I was at it, I figured I might as well get fancy wrist gloves to match.  Eric got seersuckered up for the occasion, and off we went!

After arriving in Saratoga, we were treated to brunch (complete with an endless mimosa and bloody mary bar!) at Fasig-Tipton, a historic horse auction house.  During brunch we got to hear from star jockey Taylor Rice about her experiences as a female in a male-dominated sport.  We also got a crash-course in horse-betting from an experienced gambling pro. As it turns out, there’s a lot more to it than simply plunking down a fistful of cash on your favorite horse. Sadly, I can’t say that I was a very good student since I wound up $15 in the hole after everything was all said and done!

Despite my loss, I still had a wonderful time exploring the gorgeous grounds, getting up close and personal with the horses in the paddocks, and simply enjoying a new experience. And I can’t wait to go back again!

Banana Republic Dress (similar), C. Wonder Clutch, J. Crew Belt, Prada Sunglasses, Fascinator via eBay (similar), Lace Gloves via Amazon, Guess Shoes

America’s Best Racing is a horse racing fan development launched by the Jockey Club in 2013. In less than two years, ABR has been responsible for driving thousands of new fans to the races, including high-level influencers, celebrities, athletes, writers and bloggers. With an emphasis on the fun, food and fashion of a day at the races, combined with excitement and tradition of the sport of horse racing, ABR has emphatically demonstrated that the sport is back, and better than ever.