When going to the track there are several ways to approach the day. If you’re fortunate to have seats in the clubhouse, some places require dress wear also known as business casual. Dress pants with a collared shirt is the usual attire.
However there are some tracks like Keeneland for example that still require a sport coat and tie in the upstairs clubhouse. Sometimes it just feels good to bet amongst the big boys and the wanna be big boys.
But a day at the races can also be a long afternoon in the hot sun, when you just want to be with the common folk in the grandstand, down on the rail or around the paddock area.
If that’s the case the items shown above is a good start. Cool shirt, shorts, stylin’ weave brimmed hat, comfortable sneakers or sandals, a couple of pens, a pack for refreshments if allowed and fat cigar just in case you hit the big one or you just want to look like you did.
Whatever the case, get there early so you can get ahead of the races. It’s better to be a couple of races ahead when picking your winners, you never know when you might get sidetracked and run the risk of getting shut out. You’ll soon notice that you actually hit a very high percentage of bets that, for some unknown reason, don’t get bet.
Take it all in while you’re there, watch the horses in the paddock, hang out near the noisy bar area for a while, watch a few from the rail to get the feel of the sport, visit the winner’s circle, watch the people and cash some tickets! You’ll have a great time even if you do lose a couple dollars.
When going to the track there are several ways to approach the day. If you’re fortunate to have seats in the clubhouse, some places require dress wear also known as business casual. Dress pants with a collared shirt is the usual attire.