Hitting Barre Class Milestones at B.YOU!
When you reach the 100 class mark at B.YOU fitness, the studio celebrates by giving you a little present -- a bracelet with a B.YOU charm -- and by posting your photo across their social media channels. For the first time in my life, 100 classes at my fitness studio sounds like a fun goal rather than an arduous task. I'm still pretty far away from that 100-class mark, however, I did hit some pretty significant milestones of my own in class this week.
On Tuesday, I completed my 20th class. Now, for most folks, that's a pretty standard attendance record after they've belonged to a gym or studio for a couple of months. For me, it's life-changing. When I joined B.YOU in February, I was in severe pain from a back injury. Slowly but surely, the shakes, burns, and stretches of B. Barre classes helped me build core strength and decrease my pain levels. It doesn't hurt that the classes are so enjoyable, with wonderfully supportive instructors and participants. Yesterday, as I was leaving class, my instructor, Jessica, complimented me on how much my form had improved. It was a really big deal for me, considering that I couldn't walk without pain only a few short months ago!
I love the the "Yes, You Can!" attitude of the instructors at B. YOU. The attitudes of the instructors and the women in classes are always so supportive and encouraging. There isn't the competitive vibe that you see so often in exercise classes -- the classes are quite challenging and we're all doing the best we can. It's a great place to get fit and connect with a group of wonderful women. I hope to see y'all there as you set a few milestones of your own!!
{This post is brought to you by b.you Fitness!}
{Please note that I am speaking only from my personal experience. I am neither a medical professional nor a barre instructor. I was advised by my physician to work on core strengthening.}
Ten Signs That Derby Season is in Full Effect
Derby Season is in full effect, y'all. Here in Louisville, we're trying to squeeze in as much fun as we can into a few weeks. It's our city's very own holiday, and there's a lot to enjoy! If Derby Season is in full effect for you, you'll certainly recognize these signs.
- You started scheduling meetings for A.D. (After Derby) in February.
- Benedictine and country ham are considered major food groups.
- You're now making twice-weekly dry cleaner runs.
- Your weekend plans involve avoiding Thunder at all costs.
- You're afraid your mint plants aren't growing quickly enough. You'll need A LOT, you know.
- You JUST KNOW that this is the year you can get your husband to wear bow ties to everything.
- Your smartphone's calendar includes way more evening events than work events.
- You go by The Peppermint Palm, Circe, and Rodes every few days.
- You need a break from bourbon... and from sweet tea.
- You've already attended multiple events centered around making or purchasing a hat, and your guest bedroom is starting to resemble a milliner's back room.
Happy Derby Season, y'all!!
The HerKentucky Guide to Horse Race Betting
With Keeneland's Spring Meet in session and Derby just around the corner, it's time to talk betting, y'all!
There are as many ways to choose a winning horse as there are horses in the world. Do you favor the "pick a horse by his name" tactic? How about the "my favorite color is the color of the silks!" tactic? What about the old tried and true, "Always bet on the grey!" route?
Whatever way you choose the horse to cheer for, you're never wrong. Horse racing is fun to watch and is fun to wager on if you do so responsibly and in the spirit of fun.
A lot of people, though, are mystified by all the jargon surrounding wagers and intimidated by the betting window. What's an exacta? Are they in some sort of box? Handicap? Is that bad for the horse? By no means am I an expert, but I hope I can shed a little bit of light on the subject.
I grew up in a family of horse racing enthusiasts. I remember going to Ellis Park as a child with my dad and loving it - the excitement, the pretty horses, the treat my dad would buy me when his horse won the race. My 88 year old grandmother still goes to the track, regularly, both as a social outlet and as a way to earn a little "fun money" as she calls it.
With that little bit of background, let me start with the basics. The first order of business is to buy a program when you get to the track. You can tell the serious-types by the copy of The Daily Racing Form; they have tucked under their arm. They probably bought it the night before at Kroger and have been studying. However, the Keeneland program is a great source of information. It can give you a lot of information for each race, but I generally look at the following:
- the type of race - turf or track?
- the length of the race
- the purse (prize money) for the race
The program will also tell you the following about the horse:
- the horse's name
- the jockey's name
- the trainer's name
- the owner/farm
- the color of the horse, the color of the silks and the number in the race
- past performances of the horse
There is a lot of information and knowledge to be gleaned from the program, and it can be confusing to read. If you'd like to learn more about how to read it, there's a fantastic guide at the very beginning of the program. It will explain what each little number and symbol mean. Look over it a few times and take it in.
As I said earlier, there is no wrong way to pick a horse. There are no rules. My dad would tell you he likes to study the past performances. My uncle would tell you he likes to take a look at the horses in the paddock and see who has their game face on.
For me, wagering is a mix between sentiment and educated guessing.
Just like in other sports, I have sometimes irrational likes and dislikes. I tend to not like teams with red school colors. In horse racing, I tend to be sentimental about horses bred and trained on Kentucky farms. I also tend to like catchy or witty names, and I do almost always try to put a little money on the grey.
When I'm making educated guesses, though, I compare the type and length of race with the horse's past performances. Is this a horse's first race on turf or is the horse pushing up in race distance? Eh, I'll probably pass. I also tend to look at the purse for the current race and see what sort of purses they've raced for in the past. It's just like people races. If you'll forgive the analogy, all future Olympians probably start out on the high school track, proceed through the NCAA ranks, the national events and on to the Olympic trials. They don't start off racing against Usain Bolt (well, if they're lucky). Horses start out in small purse races. If they win, they may move up in class to larger purse races. So, take a glance at the winnings and the race purses. Are they making the jump from a low purse to a medium purse race? Maybe it's worth betting on, but the odds probably aren't in your favor.
I also take a glance at the morning line odds (printed in the program) and the live odds scrolling across the screens at the track. The odds-makers are smarter than me. If I want to win, I bet on favorites. If I want to win big, I bet on medium- to long-shots.
The thing that can trump all of these educated guesses, though, are the conditions. Be sure to check the big board in the infield where the track conditions will be listed. Sloppy track conditions often make for big payout days! Bet on the longshot and you could win big!
So, I've narrowed down the field to a few horses that I'm interested in placing a wager on. My program looks like a first draft after the editor's gotten hold of it - notes in the margins, Xs over the horses who have scratched (dropped out of the race), etc. I know which horses I'd like to bet on. Now, what kind of bet should I place?
Betting amounts are always a personal preference, but a $2 bet is the standard and is what the payouts on the board will reflect.
A quick discussion about how to word your bet at the window. There are signs that explain this but you generally should say, "Hi! I'd like to place a bet on Race #__ at Keeneland. I'd like $__ on horse #__ to [insert type of bet]."
Your basic bet is Win, Place or Show. If you think a horse can win, you can put $2 on the horse to Win (you'd say, "$2 on horse 7 to Win"). In a Win bet, you will only win your bet if your horse does, in fact, win the race. Since "Place" is really Second Place, you're wagering that the horse will at least come in second. A "Show" bet is for the horse to come in somewhere in the top three. This is interesting when it comes to payouts. If you bet a horse to Show, but it ends up winning, you'll still win some money back. However, it will be less than if you had bet the horse to win outright. Does that make sense? In a nutshell:
- $2 on a horse to Win - pays out only if the horse wins the race
- $2 on a horse to Place - pays out if the horse wins or comes in second (less money than a win)
- $2 on a horse to Show - pays out if the horse finishes in the top three (least payout of these three types of bets)
You might hear people saying that they are betting horses "Across the Board." That sounds fancy, huh? Basically, it is an easy way of making three bets at once. If you say, "I'd like $2 on horse 5 across the board," you've actually made a $2 bet to win, a $2 bet to place and a $2 bet to show. This bet would cost you $6, but your odds of a higher payout have increased. If your chosen horse has heard you cheering hard enough and wins the race, you'll receive the money shown on the board for Win, Place and Show. It's really fun to do this!
There are many bets that are more complicated. These involve picking more than one horse and are called exotics. Basically, there are an Exacta, a Trifecta and a Superfecta. An exacta bet is when you choose two horses to finish first and second. A trifecta is when you choose three horses to finish first, second and third. A superfecta, you guessed it, is picking the top four finishing horses. One very key thing to note - in plain ol' exactas, trifectas and superfectas, your horses must finish in the order you say they'll finish or you don't win. It really stinks when your horses might all finish in the top, but not in the order you specified. To get around this, you can "box" the bet so that any combination of your horses in the right finishing places will win you some money. To box the bet is more expensive, but it could save some heartbreak!
Betting the exotics can be confusing when it comes to knowing what to say. Basically, take your time when placing a bet. To place a straight exacta bet, you would say, "$2 Exacta on horses x & y." It is similar for a Trifecta - "$2 Trifecta on horses x, y, z." For a Superfecta, you name four horses. To box it, simply say "Exacta/Trifecta/Superfect box."
Exotics can also get expensive rather quickly. You will basically have to pay your bet amount (in the case above, $2) for each combination you are betting on. So, a straight Exacta is a bet on one horse to come in first and another horse to come in second. That's one bet and will cost two dollars. What if you want to box it, though, so your horses can come in any order? Two combinations. $2 x 2 = $4 A $2 Trifecta box is really six combinations, so will cost you $12. Superfectas are even more! I would suggest betting a $1 Superfecta Box just for fun. It will cost you $24 - more than I'm willing to idly spend on one race on a fun day at the track.
Exotics can be expensive but can be lots of fun when your educated guessing happens to be right! My husband and I once placed a last-minute Trifecta bet (boxed) for $12 and walked away with nearly $600! That's fun any way you slice it. Just for fun-facts-sharing-time, the trifecta in the 2005 Kentucky Derby (Giacomo, Closing Argument and Afleet Alex) paid $133,000 on a $24 bet! I'd wager that there's someone out there who is a lawyer, a Sting fan (he owned Giacomo) and has a son named Alex who just might have hit that one!
Going to the track is fun if you're just there to people watch. If you manage to people watch, place a few bets and win a couple of dollars (or at least enough to cover your bar tab and taxi fare), then you've had a great day!
Good luck, and Go, Baby, Go!
What to Wear to Keeneland's Clubhouse
The question that HerKentucky readers ask us most often is "What should I wear to Keeneland?" This week, HerKentucky has advised y'all on the dress code for the Paddock and Dining Rooms for Lexington's storied Keeneland Race Course. Today, we'll talk about what to wear to the most exclusive area of the track -- the Clubhouse.
The members-only Clubhouse similarly requires coat and tie for men and dressy pants/skirts for ladies. I find that a skirt suit or a dress paired with a pretty cardigan or wrap is always appropriate for the upper levels. In general, if you'd wear it to church or a business meeting, you're golden.
Shop The Peppermint Palm, omar + elsie and Bella Rose for gorgeous, on-trend dresses that fit the Clubhouse rules. Pretty dresses in feminine spring colors fit the bill, as do luxe accessories.
Dress to Impress, and have a great day at the races, y'all!
What to Wear to Keeneland's Dining Rooms
Sooner or later, most Central Kentuckians get invited to an event in one of Keeneland's Dining Rooms. These make for some great days at the track -- you're inside, taking it all in. You're guaranteed to run into tons of people you know. And, of course, a bad day at Keeneland is better than a good day just about anywhere else. Like the lower levels, Keeneland's dining areas have a unique dress code.
If you'll be dining in the upper-level, enclosed dining rooms-- The Lexington, Kentucky, or Phoenix Rooms-- then expect to dress for a business event. The Lexington and Kentucky rooms -- dining rooms often reserved for business and social gatherings-- have a "business formal" dress code; these areas require men to don a coat and tie, and skirts/dresses/dressy slacks for ladies. The Phoenix Room-- another reserved dining room-- is "business casual", requiring collared shirts and slacks for men and dresses, pantsuits, or capri pants for ladies.
What this means is that you want a little more pulled-together, professional look than what you'd wear to the lower levels. Pair a colorful Lilly Pulitzer Elsa Top from The Peppermint Palm with neutral slacks or a skirt. A vivid dress from Monkees or omar + elsie is perfect with a solid cardigan and classic accessories. You're likely to run into a classmate or professional acquaintance in this area of the track, so keep your style classic!
Here's to a winning day at the track! Check back tomorrow morning for our picks for the Clubhouse!
What to Wear to Keeneland's Paddock
Keeneland is one of my very favorite things about the Bluegrass State, y'all. The races, the crowd, the fashion, the bread pudding... it's all pretty wonderful.
Some folks have told me, though, that the dress code is a little intimidating. So, the next few days' posts will focus on decoding the Keeneland dress code. First up, the lower levels.
If you're going to stay near the Paddock --General Admission, Grandstand, or Equestrian Room-- there's no need to dress up very much. Guys often opt for khakis and polo shirts, and women can wear slacks. You're actually dressing for a horse race in these sections. These are the areas nearest the track itself, and people are truly there to watch (and bet on) the horses. With that said, don't be surprised to see a lot of dresses and sport coats in the lower-levels. In recent years, a culture of dressy tailgating (think Steeplechase) has popped up among college students and twenty-somethings, and the second floor (General Admission) Sports Bar often resembles a campus bar or fraternity semi-formal; while the dress code says "casual", there's plenty of Vineyard Vines ties and Lilly Pulitzer to be seen.
Keep it classic and preppy with a Lilly Pulitzer dress from the Peppermint Palm and Jack Rogers sandals from Monkees of Lexington. Your beau can't go wrong with a Vineyard Vines tie from Country Club Prep. Don't forget your sunglasses, a cup of water, and a good dose of sunscreen if you're hanging around the Paddock or a tailgate; it's really easy to wind up dehydrated or sunburned! Check in tomorrow for a guide to the dining rooms' dress code.
Stay comfortable, look cute, and enjoy your day at the races!
Blogger {View} Wednesday: Courtney Layne Brewer of Behind Her Monogrammed Macbook
Today's Blogger{view} Wednesday features Courtney Layne Brewer of Behind Her Monogrammed Macbook. Courtney is a Lexington-based high school student, fashion and lifestyle blogger, and all-around cool girl. I'm just so impressed that she manages her blog along with schoolwork and normal high school stuff (like her school's production of Legally Blonde!). She is just the cutest!! Thanks so much to CLB for joining us today!
How did your blog get started? I started blogging in February of 2014 for a multitude of reasons. I had always loved fashion, always been a writer, and the inspiration from friends-of-friends starting blogging sparked something in me. I had just moved to a brand new house with a brand new room, and I started BHMM out of pure inspiration to change along with my new house.
What's your favorite thing about Kentucky? Oh so many things, all depending on the season. In the fall my life centers around Kentucky football and our huge tailgates. Once the new year comes, I live for basketball and cheering on my Cats. But if I had to pick one thing, it's Keeneland. Spring and fall meet seasons are my favorite parts of the year and Keeneland is my happy place.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to start a blog? Never be afraid to make the ask. The biggest part of blogging is reaching out and making connections, and you can't be afraid. No matter how big the company or how "impossible" the dream, you never know what could happen, the worst answer you can get is no.
Now for the important questions.
Cats or Cards: C-A-T-S CATS CATS CATS! I've been going to UK games since I was three and can never imagine cheering for the Cards.
Louisville or Lexington: Lexington is my home, wouldn't have it any other way.
Favorite Local Restaurant: Malone's and Dudley's are two of my classic favorites, but North Lime Donuts is slowly becoming an addiction.
Favorite Local Shop: Bluetique is my favorite local boutique, but I love Kentucky brands like Shop Local Kentucky.