I’m a Kentucky girl and as I’m sure most people know that Kentucky is the home of the Kentucky Derby. If we are being specific about it, Churchill Downs in Louisville,Ky is the home of the Derby, which means a trip to the track is a right of passage around here.

Tonight I went to Downs after Dark with some friends and it was the first time I was actually legal to bet. All those years of going with my family up to the betting window are over and it felt pretty good let me tell ya. Now that I have pretty much had the full experience at the race track I figured why not give you all some tips and tell you about my experience.

First things first, there is a dress code and I would highly encourage you to follow it because for girls at least, it’s keeps you from feeling overly hot. With the weather being in the hundreds with humidity, I wanted to wear something that shaded my legs but was still light and breathable. So here is what I came up with:

I was going to dress a little nicer than this, but I came straight from a pool graduation party and t didn’t want to be too dressed up for the graduation party.

Hydrate like no other because the heat and the alcohol (if you are of age) will take it right out of you.

Have a budget of how much you want to bet before you get to the track so that you don’t end up spending wayyy to much money.

Learn the rules of betting before you go if you do plan to bet. You don’t want to end up spending more money than you thought or betting on the wrong race. There can also be rather long lines at the betting window and it is courteous to not piss off those waiting behind you.

Depending on what time of the day you are going, I would highly suggest eating beforehand because the prices at the track are quite high. Plus if you are trying to be somewhat healthy you aren’t going to have any options most likely.

These are my quick tips to survive a day at the race track. I hope you have a great rime if you get to go!

~Madison Eran~

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