Home Place: Saratoga Racetrack

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Saratoga Race Course with America's Best Racing

Fashion, Food, and Fun at the Saratoga Race Course!

This year we were invited back to the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs New York as the guests of America's Best Racing. an organization initiated by The Jockey Club to promote awareness of the sport of thoroughbred horse racing in North America to a new generation.

America's Best Racing's emphasis and focus is on the fun and fashionable lifestyle associated with American horse racing.

This isn't your grandfather's day at the horse track with a cigar and a racing form!

This is a day of sport spent with fun loving enthusiasts enjoying the magnificent thoroughbreds, smart wagering, and, of course, fashion at the races!

Our hosts from America's Best Racing for the day were the lovely Victoria and the ever dapper Dan who made us feel welcome, helped us with questions about the race course and wagering, and encouraged us to have a fun-filled day!

Pre-race I explored the grounds and found a wonderful vendor, Hatsational, who sets up shop on the grounds at Saratoga selling stylish hats and fascinators to race course fashion enthusiasts! If you don't come to the races with your own hat, I promise you you'll find one that matches your outfit at this fabulous outlet.

I had a great time trying on various hats and fascinators and chatting with the sales staff. They have several locations in the greater Saratoga Springs area besides their on-track location. If it weren't for the fact that purchasing a hat would mean carrying the one I was wearing for the remainder of the day, I would have purchased one. Or two. And of course a fascinator too! Yes, they were all that beautiful!

Here are some other fashion shots from the races...

Beautiful hats

And it's not just the women who get into the fashion act...here's a father son duo in pastels

...and some pretty madcap pants!

Or maybe this is more your style?

I guess there's something for everyone at the race course!

For more race course fashion follow Twitter's #AmericasBestFashion or Instagram's #AmericasBestFashion

The Saratoga Race Course is also family friendly - just look at the playground perfect for the wee ones to enjoy!

Last year's visit to Saratoga, also sponsored by America's Best Racing was spent in the Carousel Restaurant (Read about it HERE). This year's visit was a bit different as we enjoyed an alternate aspect of a day at Saratoga with a picnic lunch on the pastoral grounds of the race course.

Yes, that's right! Saratoga Race Course allows patrons to bring in their own food and drink to enjoy on their beautiful premises, so long as everything is packed in plastic. No glass is allowed in the picnic areas - a wonderful safety precaution.

The great folks at America's Best Racing provided us with some great food and spirit! Our picnic lunch was catered by the Putnam Market of Saratoga Springs and consisted of artisan sandwiches and specialty salads and sides.

And our spirits were courtesy of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Because, after all, what's a horse race without some good Kentucky bourbon.

Andrea, the NJ Market Manager for Buffalo Trace, whipped up two vats of bourbon favorites for us all to enjoy. A Bourbon Spiked Lemonade and a Mint Julep, both made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Here's a little known fact, in order to be bottled as "bourbon" the spirits must be made in the United States! And what's more, Buffalo Trace Bourbon has the distinction of being the the oldest continuously operating distillery in America. During Prohibition the distillery was even permitted to remain operational, to make whiskey for "medicinal purposes".

I have to say that even though I'm not a Bourbon lover...Buffalo Trace was so velvety smooth that even I became a big fan of the brand. Buffalo Trace notes that its taste is "rich and complex, with hints of vanilla, toffee and candied fruit". I couldn't agree more.

After eating we strolled down to the paddock to see the race horses up close with special entry passes furnished by America's Best Racing.

And then see the jockeys being escorted to the race track.

After our visit to the paddock it was time to place our bets! We had a lot of fun pouring over the race form finding favorite names, checking out the odds, and playing our favorite name and number combinations.

In the end the cowboy came out ahead...ever so slightly...and it was a fun day at the races!

We loved standing track side and watching the post be put in place and the horses trot out to position.

Finally, before leaving, we headed into the Saratoga Pavilion where Fashion Saturday with Lord & Taylor was taking place. I even got to pose paparazzi style on the red carpet! What fun!

Our thanks to Victoria, Dan, and everyone on the ABR Tour for a fun and fashionable day at the beautiful and historic Saratoga Race Course.

Will we be back next year? You can #BetOnIt!

Saratoga Race Course

267 Union Avenue

Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866

Find America's Best Racing on the web at http://www.americasbestracing.net/
Follow them on twitter @ABRLive and @ABRVTour
Like them on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AmericasBestRacing
Watch them on Instagram @AmericasBestRacing

Disclaimer: We were invited to the Saratoga Race Course by America's Best Racing. All opinions are our own.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Saratoga Race Course - with America's Best Racing

This month we were invited by the folks at America's Best Racing to visit the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. This was such a wonderful event, not just because of the horse races, but also because the historic Saratoga Race Course is celebrating 150 years of horse racing.

And, of course, I'm a girl who loves tradition, and what could be better than 150 years of horse racing tradition! (#Saratoga150).

Traveling from Connecticut, we took CT's I-91 to the Massachusetts Pike to the New York Thruway, right through the beautiful, scenic Berkshire Mountains. It took a little over 3 hours, with a few short stops to stretch our legs. Not a bad drive at all. We left home about 8am and arrived at the course about 11:45.

The New York Thruway through the Berkshires

There's plenty of parking in the area, with private lots that charge $5.00 to $10.00. And there's even a lot that provides free general parking, however, we chose a lot that cost $5.00 because it was directly across from our entrance. The $10.00 lot is trackside, adjacent to the course. Of course, price is dependent on proximity.

Admission is so affordable! It's only $3.00 for general grandstand admission and $5.00 for the clubhouse admission.

The brand ambassadors from America's Best Racing couldn't have been nicer! I was lucky enough to team up with them for this great afternoon of lunch and cocktails in the clubhouse, and a behind the scenes tour of the Saratoga Race Track. A great big thank you to Chip McGaughey who invited me, as well as the great hospitality from John Cox, Jose Contreros and everyone else at America's Best Racing who were such wonderful and gracious hosts.

America's Best Racing

Because it was my first time there, these patient gentlemen and their female counterparts took me under their wing, and made sure we were situated with all the information we needed to enjoy a fun day at the track!

We started with the buffet lunch ($35.00) in the clubhouse, which consisted of a variety of choices from a well-stocked salad bar, and pasta, fish, chicken, and beef stations. We kept it healthy, with portioned protein and lots of salad and fruit!

Buffet at the Clubhouse Saratoga Race Course

Buffet Stations at the Club House at the Saratoga Race Course

And while everyone was looking over the racing form...I decided to concentrate on a nice glass of Riesling from the Carousel Bar.

The Carousel Bar at Saratoga Race Course

Then the fun began - we placed our wagers on each race...sometimes winning! Sometimes losing! My best race was winning with the #7 horse, "In Trouble", in the 6th Race. But all in all it was fun. Never wager more than you can afford to lose, my mom always said!

Wagers - you win some - you lose some!

We also had passes to visit the paddock and the jockey room! What a wonderful opportunity to see the horses, up close. They are truly absolutely magnificent!

The Paddock at Saratoga Race Course

Here's what you should know when visiting the race track. Dress is casual but there are plenty who dress to the nines. Women are typically in dresses, and some in hats, and men are in collared shirts and trousers. While shorts and denim are worn by some, they aren't allowed in some of the more exclusive areas. There are some areas that require a jacket be worn by gentlemen. Check the Saratoga Race Course information area for details here: http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/information/

There are grounds inside the track where you are allowed to bring in lawn chairs and coolers, etc. Please note ==> NO GLASS items are allowed. So, if you're looking to save some dollars to put towards your wagering, pack a picnic lunch, some chairs, and a couple of cans of beer or soda, and have a picnic outside!
Here's some candids from around the course.

The Saratoga Race Course Candids

There is a true sense of festivity in the air at Saratoga Race Course. Vendors, crafts, music, and loads of entertainment for every age. Truly something for everyone!