Tag: oaks

Posted in Friday Favorites, Traditions

Friday Favorites {#206}: Kentucky Oaks

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Wow! This week feels like it flew by. Honestly, we had less going on in the evenings thanks to some rain, but this week still really seemed like a quick one.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorite.

Well, I never got around to sharing about the Kentucky Oaks races last Friday, so that’s what today’s blog post is all about!

It’s definitely a favorite tradition.

In true Jen fashion, I like to wait until the last minute to figure out what I’m going to wear.

By now, I have a few fascinators in my collection (and a friend who is always willing to share what she has), but I picked up this bright pink one at Macys on Thursday. My dress is the “Tatum” from Shop Style Your Senses, and my purse and heels are Amazon.

A quick selfie before my friends picked me up.

Travis always goes to the Thurby (Thursday before Derby) races, so he’s already in Louisville.

We met up with him and headed to Churchill Downs. I was very nervous about the weather because our seats were at the first turn and not covered! There were some showers throughout the day, but it ended up being overcast more than rainy.

Midway through the day, there is a “survivors walk” for the Breast Cancer survivors, and pink is definitely the color theme for Oaks.

The “Lily” is the drink of the Kentucky Oaks.

My friend Megan!

Overcast skies and a sloppy track!

After a few races, we walked around a bit and got a bite to eat. After Covid, the food and drinks are all inclusive with the ticket which makes everything so convenient.

We found a covered seating area because it started to rain a bit. Then, we walked around a bit more.

The new paddock area is amazing. We walked around up top…

I didn’t get a picture on my own, but ESPN shared this one on Facebook. The paddock area is really pretty!

After that, we met up with some friends and then made our way to a covered box. One thing about Travis is that he will always figure things out, and he found us some seating where we would for sure stay dry.

We watched the rest of the races, and had a few more drinks and food. They had cheesecake on a stick…but I forgot to get a pic! It was so good.

We snapped a group pic…

…before I placed a bet on Gin Gin in the Kentucky Oaks.

She did not win (win!).

After that race, it was time to head home. We knew traffic would be crazy, and we needed to get home to check on the kids.

The main rain happened right as we were leaving…enough so that Megan and I pulled out our ponchos for the walk to the car. Every year, we get pretty lucky with parking as one of Trav’s clients owns a parking lot right by the track, but it’s still a bit of a walk. This was the first year, I brought some sandals to wear when not wearing heels, and I’m glad I did. I wore my sandals for the walk to and from the car, and that made all the difference in the world.

I wish that I’d gotten a pic of us wearing our ponchos. haha

We navigated traffic and made it home around 8:00. After we checked on the kids, the four of us went out to dinner which was nice. Then, we were ready to be home and go to bed.

I’ve been to Oaks off and on through the years, but I think this was my fourth Oaks in a row. It’s a fun tradition that I’m glad we make happen.

Derby:

Derby on Saturday was so low-key that I don’t even have any photos.

Did you see the photo finish though? What a race!

We took it easy most of Saturday which was so nice. Trav’s boss called with two tickets to Derby, but we were so tired (and besides Thursday and Friday, Travis was in Louisville on Wednesday too). Also, Hayden had a race, so we made the decision to stay home.

Travis watched the races, placed a few bets and made some work calls throughout the day.

After Hayden’s race, we headed to our friends’ house as they hosted a little neighborhood get together.

Overall, it was a low-key day which was very much needed after a long Friday.

Per usual, my mom hosted her Kentucky Derby party back in KC, and had quite the turn out. She’s collected some cute Derby decorations through the years. The pics are always fun to see with the winners and their money and the losers with their loser cups. haha

Oaks and Derby are definitely fun traditions here in the Bluegrass State!

Share Our Lives:

On Monday, we have our monthly Share Our Lives post. This month’s topic is “5 Favorite and Least Favorite Foods.” We’d love to have you join us.

Weekly Recap:

Here are my posts from the week:

Prime Purchases
Teacher Talk Tuesday
Let’s Look

What are your weekend plans?

We have a busy Friday night, but then not too much going on tomorrow. Sunday is Mother’s Day, and I’m hoping we can go to church and maybe out for lunch.

As always…

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Traditions

Kentucky Classics: Oaks/Derby

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday.

While I think most people know that the Kentucky Derby is the “greatest two minutes in sports,” many aren’t as familiar with the Kentucky Oaks. Last year, I wrote this post sharing all about the Oaks.

The first week in May in Louisville is pretty festive. It used to just be Oaks and then Derby, but as the years have gone on and there’s horse racing all week, there are many days of fun.

Thurby (Thursday before Derby) is another busy day at Churchill Downs. Now, another big day is the Tuesday before Derby which is dubbed “502-uesday” (the Louisville area code). Now, many Louisville locals use that day the have fun at the track because so many from out of town are now there the rest of the week.

Anyway, Travis is pretty busy throughout that week, but he usually goes to Thurby with friends, and then I join him in Louisville on Friday for Oaks. We’ve done this for quite a few years as when the kids were little, it was hard to get away…or they had sports on the Saturday of Derby. Honestly, I think Travis really enjoys Derby at home now because he watches the races all day, has the tv on, his computer out, and has fun keeping tabs on everything and placing bets. I’m sure some day we’ll get back to going to Derby, but for now, this schedule seems to work for us.

We talk about having a Derby party, but the month of May is just so busy and hectic with kids’ activities and school, I’m usually just lucky to commit to going to the Oaks.

I always buy a new dress for Oaks, and I usually order a few, hoping one works, and then return the others.

Since pink is the color for Oaks (as the Oaks race honors breast and ovarian cancer survivors), I always look for a dress with pink in it…or one that could be worn with a pink fascinator. That’s what I did last year…

Well, this year I was really cutting it close, and had a few dresses arrive on my doorstep Thursday afternoon. (I did have one in my closet that I was going to wear if all else failed, but was hopeful one of the ones I ordered would work).

Well, guess what…I had a couple I liked, but my favorite was this one…from Amazon!

As soon as I put this dress on, I loved it so much. (I honestly want to get it in another color!)

Once I decided on the dress, I second guessed the fascinator that I had, and reached out to my friends.

My neighbor let me borrow this one…and Hadley snagged it off her porch.

Who wore it better?! haha (Actually, don’t answer that!)

Hadley wearing the fascinator reminded me of a few years ago when I borrowed one from the same friend…and Hadley looked like quite the fashionista!

Anyway…off to the races!

I picked up Travis from our friends’ house in Louisville, and took a quick photo!

Then, we headed to…

Thankfully, Travis knows a guy who lets us park right by the track. My feet were already thanking him.

Every year, we seem to end up sitting somewhere different, and it’s always a fun experience. We’ve sat in the Finish Line suites, an outside box near the finish, the Turf Club, and this year, were were in the outside Winner’s Circle suites.

Trav’s work had two suites in that area for Oaks. One was right behind the winner’s circle and the other was on the end.

I never really place any bets. If I do, it’s a simple bet based on the name (or if there’s a connection to Trav’s farm).

The Lily is the signature drink on Oaks Day. There was also a buffet inside with food and desserts. There is a bartender for each suite as well as one near the food.

We went to the paddock area before a few races. On Derby day this is where KC Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said the famous, “Riders up!”

After a few races, we walked around and found our friends/neighbors. I have Krista to thank for the fascinator!

The green space in front of the suite was a nice spot to watch the races, and snap a couple of pics.

The weather was amazing. Honestly, it was hot. That being said, I’d take a hot day over a rainy one. The past few Oaks have had a significant chance of rain. Friday’s forecast called for afternoon showers, but we never saw a drop of rain. Derby day weather was the same…it did eventually rain, but it was after the race.

Before the Oaks race, breast and ovarian cancer survivors walk around the track. It’s a moving experience seeing all the survivors in pink and Rachel Platten sang “Fight Song” as they walked.

The Oaks race is always exciting. Congrats to this year’s Oaks winner, Pretty Mischievous.

Then we stayed for the race after the Oaks because Trav’s farm had a horse running.

Then, we headed home. Thankfully, the walk to the car wasn’t too bad. Traffic was a bit hectic at first, but Travis knows the back ways. haha

We pit stopped for a snack, and then told the kids we’d order some pizza to pick up on our way home. We were both so tired that I also told the kids Travis and I were going to bed by 10! I really was asleep by then. It was such a long (but fun!) day.

Derby Day

Y’all, I couldn’t sleep Saturday morning, and I woke up around 5:00. I ended up watching quite a bit of King Charles’s coronation. Around 8:00, I told Travis I was going to shut my eyes for a bit. Then, I woke up at 11:30. Can you believe it?!

Thankfully, we didn’t have much planned…and spent most of the day at home. Like I said above, Travis worked a bit (phone calls, etc), watched all the races, and placed some bets. (He does a few large group bets too.) Hayden wasn’t feeling well, so it was a good day of downtime for him too.

I guess we all just needed a day to recoup.

My mom does more on Derby day than we do! In KC, she throws a party every year. It’s fun to see her friends in their hats, holding their Derby draw winnings, and “loser” cups. She has a quite a few cute decorations that she’s acquired through the years.

I did go to the grocery store before the Derby to pick up steaks and sides for dinner.

Then it was time for the race…

Congrats to Mage, the 2023 Derby Winner!

After the race, Travis grilled out, and we ate as a family on the patio. Overall, it was a really great day at the track and then a relaxing day at home. To me, that’s the best of both worlds.

Posted in Holidays, Tuesday Talk

Tuesday Talk: All About the Oaks

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Last week I mentioned that the first week in May is a busy and festive week around here.

I recently shared my Keeneland post, and today I’m sharing all about the Oaks.

Oaks is the day before the Kentucky Derby. Like Derby Day, there are races all day long, but the main race, the Kentucky Oaks, is for three year old fillies (girl horses).

For Oaks, many wear pink in honor of the breast cancer survivors who walk in the parade before the Oaks race. It’s such a powerful moment to see so many survivors walking together.

If I don’t find a pink dress, I will add a touch of pink with a fascinator. Years ago, if we went to Oaks or Derby, I’d usually wear a fancy hat, but I much prefer a fascinator.

My dress is from Nordstrom, and Amazon for the win for my pink fascinator. (I’d ordered a couple of them and also borrowed a couple from a friend, but Hadley helped me make the final decision)

Travis was already in Louisville, so once I dropped the kids off at school, I headed to pick him up.

I got to Louisville around 11:30, and we were at Churchill Downs by 12:00.

Upon arrival, I was handed the signature drink, the Lily, which was the perfect way to start the day.

For the second year in a row, the ticket was all- inclusive. So, any food or drink is included in the ticket price. Of course, there were still lines for food, but they moved pretty quickly considering the crowd. Also, there were fridges throughout with drinks like water and soda that you could just pick up as needed.

After the first few races, we headed to the paddock to check on one of Trav’s client’s horses who was running.

You have to be a horse owner to get into the paddock, and even then, the pass is for the specific race for your horse. The filly we were there to see was Kneesnhips. Any guesses what the owner does for a living? Then, we headed back to our seats to watch the race (and it was raining just a bit then). She placed 4th.

We stayed in our seats for a bit, but it was only a steady rain for about an hour.

Our seats were in a box (of 6, with friends) that was undercover right near the finish line which is always so fun.

Oaks and Derby make for great people watching, and we always run in to people we know. They said the attendance was at 100,000…and I believe it!

Of course, there are usually more celebrities for Derby, but Kirk Herbstreit (sports analyst) sat right behind us. Then, as we left, I saw Justin Harley (This is Us) walking out with his wife. He did the “riders up” in the paddock before the big Oaks race.

You may remember from my post on Friday, but I was very concerned about the weather. Friday’s weather actually turned out better that Saturday’s weather for Derby. It really just rained from about 3:00-4:00, and then again around 6:15 when we got in the car.

Thurby:

So, for years, Oaks was more for the “locals” (Louisville people) and the Derby was when so many from out of town would come. Quite a few years ago, they started having “Thurby” which is now when most local people go.

Travis and many of his Louisville friends now go for Thurby. Honestly, Oaks and Derby are big work days for him now, so Thurby is a bit more relaxed for him.

Derby:

With a post about Keeneland and now Oaks, it would probably be natural to have a dedicated Derby post. That being said, I haven’t been to Derby in years. Travis had a streak of almost twenty years of going to Derby. That streak came to a halt once we had kids (haha) who usually have activities that day. Plus, Thurby and Oaks are enough. I’m not saying we won’t ever get back to Derby, but he really does a lot for work that entire week, and now has the tradition of watching all the Derby day races on at home while also placing bets and working. It varies year to year, but sometimes we get together with friends. The weather was cooler and rainy this year, so we just hung at home.

My mom actually hosts a Derby party (in KC) every year that I know her friends look forward to each year.

Let me tell you the one person who doesn’t love a long shot–Travis. The horses that placed 2nd and 4th were connected to his farm. While those are pretty good finishes, Epicenter (who placed 2nd) was one of the heavy favorites. Like much of the world, Travis was speechless to see Rich Strike, with 80-1 odds, win.

A Few Derby Facts:

  • Derby is always the first Saturday in May.
  • The horses that run the race are all three-year-old colts.
  • There are 20 horses in the Derby race.
  • The Mint Julep is the signature cocktail.
  • It’s called “run for the roses.”
  • It’s the “most exciting two minutes in sports.”

One thing I wish Lexington would do that Louisville does is there’s no school on Oaks Friday. The city basically shuts down and traffic is probably extra crazy which is why that’s more of a necessity in Louisville than Lex, but it would still be so nice to have that day off.

I never realized until my kids were in school how much the schools (especially elementary) incorporate the Derby into learning and activities at school.

Schools in our district display their “Derby silks.”

There are fun Derby activities like hat making and…

jockey silk coloring.

Most of the elementary schools have activities like Derby races for the kids, learning about horses and jockeys, reading horse books, and more. One year, my kids’ teachers hosted a Derby breakfast at school.

Like most things, it’s fun to see the excitement of the week through a child’s eyes.

It really is a special time of the year. We had a great day. Let me know if you have any questions!