Breeders' Cup

 An unexpected invite to a horse race and an even more unexpected Carolina blue sky made for a wonderful Friday afternoon when the Breeders' Cup came to Louisville's Churchill Downs.  I'm still quite new at the horse racing thing, but I'm getting the hang of it and will be ready for Keeneland in the spring.

Becky's rules of gambling:
Rule #1: If you're not okay with losing money, don't gamble.  Simple as that.
Rule #2: Get a program and sit with someone who knows what it means*.  Preferably a Kentucky boy who has been at the races his entire life.
*See Rule #3
Rule #3: Don't be a sucker for statistics.  In the 5 races we saw, only 1 of the favorites won.  Sometimes you're better off betting based on a pretty horse, good jockey colors (i.e. Carolina blue), or the size of the horse's booty (the bigger the better).
Rule #4: Know how to place your bet.  Name the dollar amount, type of bet, and horse.  Ex: Hiii!  I'd like to place a $2 exacta bet on 2, 4, and 9**.
**Make sure you name the right horses.  Otherwise you'll end up like me and think you won but realize you told the lady at the booth the wrong number.  Oops.
Rule #5: Cheer loudly-- it makes the horses run faster.  Not really, but it's very exciting so you can't help but cheer!

We finished up the night at O'Shea's, dining on fish n' chips and a beer sampler.  I highly suggest the Southern style breading (c'mon, would you really think I'd suggest anything else?) and the BBC's Bourbon stout.

I am currently taking reservations in my sweet little apartment for the 2012 Kentucky Derby.  I've already had 3 RSVPs and there is plenty more room.