The Kentucky Derby

This weekend was my first Kentucky Derby... and probably my last. It ended up being fun and was a big event on my "bucket list", and I LOVED seeing all of the different dresses and hats, but it was just WAY too crowded. I think in the future I would like to try The Oaks (the day before the actual Derby) or go one of the days earlier in the week when it's not AS busy, but still dressy!

Unfortunately I did not do any betting. I picked the horse who won it all based on name and colors the night before (I'll Have Another in purple and white) without having any idea what any of the stats were, but did not end up placing a bet because I didn't know how! Lauryn and I sat together and our dads took the other set of seats, so we spent most of the day playing fashion police rather than being too concerned with the actual racing.

Here are a few pictures from the day:

 

Outfit

Hat: Berkeley Hats

Dress: Torrid

Shoes: Target

 Dad and I 

 Lauryn and I

 Our dads becoming the best of friends over cigars

 Class acts!

 The craziest hat we saw all day

 One of my favorite hats. You can't really see the shape, but it was Mad-Hatter-esque!

 Mint Juleps, of course!

 Another favorite hat. I think I just liked anything pink...

This is when the winning horse (white/purple) made the dash to take on the lead right in front of us!

Overall I think I would prefer horse racing much better if I knew how to bet and could do so on a slightly cooler day. I'm sure I will be back for more races at Churchill Downs, if only to have an excuse to buy another hat!