The day is about friendly competition. Four steeplechase races. Hat and tailgate judging. A cake bake-off. And then there’s that other horse race that is rarely mentioned on this day in VA: the Kentucky Derby. As the clouds rolled over Churchill Downs and the sun shined on Great Meadow, the score came out in the Virginia Gold Cup‘s favor.
Derby Day and Gold Cup always fall on the same first Saturday in May. 50,000 of the finest in horses and tailgate hounds flock to Fauquier County for VA’s legendary annual Steeplechase, now in its 85th year. And each year, the spectacle gets more spectacular.
Baltimore Chef Duff Goldman (Ace of Cakes) was on hand to judge the confections. K Street Kate assisted in naming The Trainwreck’s ‘May Day is Lei Day’ theme the tailgate winner (above left). And Paddy Young rode Bubble Economy to win the Gold Cup’s $75,000 purse in the third – and headlining – race of the day. It’s good to have an energetic ‘Economy’ enjoying a little sunshine.
More photos available on K Street Kate’s Flickr and Facebook Fan page.
