Every year during the summer we go to my hometown of Clifton Park, NY and spend a day at the Saratoga Race Track. We use to go Labor Day weekend because it was the last weekend of the season and not crowded, but the past few years my brother’s company, Sherry-Lehmann, has been throwing parties during the Fasig Tipton horse sales weekend so we’ve been going early August. Even though we lived so close, my family never went growing up. It was expensive and my parents were conservative with our family actives, a day of gambling didn’t make the list. I started going when I was in high school with my friends and then after college we started going as a family.
Usually all my family goes up to the race track to visit my brother at his event, but my parents are selling the house this year, so they were busy cleaning out their rooms and fixing up the house. The girls needed an activity so Grouchy Husband and I took them to the race track.
We all jumped in the parent’s minivan to go. The car seats were already in their car because the girls and I were staying the week while Grouchy Husband went back home to work. This picture is a Kodak moment because driving a minivan is so “uncool” to Grouchy Husband.
The Sherry-Lehmann event tent was right on the paddock, where the horses come before they go to race.
This was the only time Grouchy Husband went to the paddock because we were told shortly after this picture that you couldn’t wear shorts. It was a bit of a bummer but I love and respect the traditions in Saratoga.
This was our table in the tent where we ate our Shake Shack burgers, decided our bets, and cooled off in the air condition.
We also watched the races on the TV from the table. The gorgeous blond at the table is my Jewish cousin. She manages the PR for Sherry-Lehmann and it is so much fun to see her at this event.
When the horses came to the paddock before their race, we would go out and the girls would take pictures near the horses they chose to win. Sometimes they chose separate horses.
And sometimes they chose the same horse. This horse was special because not only did the girls bet him to win, but so did my parents. My dad wanted us to bet for him the horse that had the jockey with the best record. My mom wanted us to bet for her a grey horse. Even though this horse was the last to get onto the race track, he was the first to past the finish line and everyone was a winner!
We stayed for 4 races because it’s too boring for the girls to stay the whole day. Out of 4 races, we had winners in 3.
We grabbed Shake Shack milk shakes on the way out.
We didn’t get too far outside before the girls couldn’t walk anymore because their feet hurt. Grouchy Husband went to get the car while we rested on a bench.
Hurt feet and all, it was a great winning day at the track!
It’s sad to think we won’t be able to go to the house in Clifton Park next year during race track season. It’s now time to make new memories.
The Dumpling Mama xo