#BOSATOGA

August 12, 2014 Holly Darling

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Man, where do I even begin with this last Saturday, you guys?

Myself and about 18 other bloggers boarded a luxury coach and headed out to Saratoga, NY for a day at the races, courtesy of America’s Best Racing. Even though there were a few naps (it was pretty early, after all), the atmosphere on the bus was lively. There were pastries, drinks, lots of chatting, and a videographer along for the ride to capture the trip and interview each blogger.

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When we finally arrived in Saratoga, we changed into our track attire (seriously, there was some fabulous fascinator and hat action going on there) and were treated to brunch at Fasig Tipton. We also were introduced to Centennial Farms, a Boston-area horse racing operation whose horse - Boston Strong - has a portion of his earnings donated to the One Fund Boston, which supports the Boston marathon bombing victims and their families.

And then, after a quick introduction to betting and understanding the odds, we headed across the street to the track!

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**photo by Alexis Kletjian**

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There, we got the full experience. We had access to the paddocks where we saw some of the horses being prepared for the races, and even got up close and personal with this beauty -, Black Jack. We got to place a bet, watch a couple of races from right on the fence, and I even had the experience of winning! Horse number 7 - Designed For War - came through for me in race 6 and I left the track $15 richer than I came. For my first time, I’d say that’s a good day.

Overall, It was such a fun day. That atmosphere is insane. Something I don’t even know how to put into words. And now that I (sorta kinda) know what I’m doing, I’d love to go back sometime with Boo! Big money, big money! Let’s place some bets :)

Thank you so much America’s Best Racing for having us and providing such an awesome experience! And thank you Noelle for organizing everything for us.