The Final Countdown! Gold Cup Tomorrow!

We've had huge response this year and we're so excited to see everyone tomorrow and get those mint juleps flowing! Not only do we have a record number of JMU alums attending our first solo event in over a decade, but we have a lot of friends of JMU coming as well! Shout out to our friends from Virginia Tech, George Mason, William and Mary, George Washington, Randolph Macon, Longwood, ODU, Pitt, Penn, Princeton, Harvard, UNC, UMass, West Point, WVU, Johns Hopkins, Florida Atlantic, Queens, Cornell, Bucknell, Baylor, Lycoming, South Carolina, Clemson, Michigan State, Tennesee, Tampa, Wilkes, Miami, Lehigh, UConn, Tufts, the College of Saint Rose, SUNY Cortland, and Nebraska! WOW! Welcome everyone!!

I'll Have What He's Having

More Cowbell!

In order to get everyone's attention on race day we decided that we needed to have a cowbell.  Of course.  We called around to several music stores (turns out they all carry them) and here is a conversation we just had:

"Hello do you carry cowbells?"
"Yes we do!  Who is the cowbell player?"
"Me."
"Are you an experienced cowbell player or just starting out?"
"This is my first cowbell."
"Will you need a two tone cowbell?"
"No I just need a basic cowbell to hit to herd people."
"Fantastic."

Shout out to Alexandria Music for giving us half off our cowbell!

The National Gallery of Art Explains the Drama of Steeplechase

The Virginia Gold Cup typically falls on the same weekend as the Kentucky Derby, and while it might not be quite as epic as The Run for the Roses, Gold Cup is just as exciting!  If you think we exaggerate, consider that steeplechase racing is one of the most dangerous sports out there.  The National Gallery of Art features this incredible painting by Degas and explains:

"Unlike horse racing on the flats, a steeplechase is a risky obstacle course. The French version is based on the English and Irish steeplechase, which is an informal race run in the countryside. A group of men on horseback would choose a steeple--a visible, fixed goal--and race toward it, riding over everything--bridges, fences, hedges, and streams--between the starting point and the end. People fell, frequently injuring or even killing themselves. In France "le steeplechase" was a somewhat more organized event, with a specific distance and course. It was very much a gentleman's race, designed for aristocrats, not for professional jockeys, and was a way for men to demonstrate their sangfroid, their ability to keep a cool head in dangerous circumstances. Certain places specialized in steeplechases, including Le-Pin, a racetrack in Normandy near the estate of the Valpinçons, friends whom Degas frequently visited. 

In the early 1860s there were a few paintings at the Salon showing the steeplechase, but no one had painted anything like this. Instead of a modest genre painting of "a gentleman's race," it is epic, ambitious, and full of high drama. Degas has taken an ordinary event--the steeplechase--and turned it into a history painting. It's Alexander and Bucephalus, but in reverse. In this battle between man and horse--man and nature--man has lost. A fallen jockey lies in the foreground while the race continues."

Perfect Weather Forecast!

We're one week out and so far the forecast is calling for partly cloudy sunny, highs in the 70s 80s 90s (!) heaven.  It's going to be a beautiful day at the races!  We still have tickets left, so if you haven't bought your tickets yet, you need to check yourself before you wreck yourself (yeah you heard that) and click on the sales link now!

New Bailey's pre-party and Best Dressed prize details!

Can't wait to get your Gold Cup party started?  Well Bailey's is here to help!  Bailey's is opening at 8 AM with a $5 breakfast buffet- just tell your server you're with JMU.  Of course, they aren't going to leave you thirsty - Bailey's is offering $4 bloody marys, $4 mimosas, and $4 mojitos!

Bailey's is also going all out for the Best Dressed contest winners - making those gift certificates we advertised earlier full-on VIP party packages!  What does that mean?  5 free apps ($40 average value), a free VIP starter (50 free wings, 3 cheese pizzas, and endless chips and salsa), and 5 free hours of pool ($60 value).  For VIP parties, 10 people must be present - good thing a hundred of your new best friends will be headed back to Bailey's with you at the end of the day, so there won't be any problem meeting that number if you want to turn your prize into a free post-party!  One more weekend left to get that perfect race outfit together to win!

Gold Cup Fashion for the Ladies

Finding the perfect outfit for Gold Cup is a dilemma.  You've got to find the perfect dress, at the right price, and figure out how to avoid wearing the same dress as someone else.  Invite-only online designer sample sale boutiques can be fun places to prowl for something the other ladies might not find.  If you aren't already a member of one or more of these sites, invitations to a few are pasted below.  And gentlemen, there are some sales for you as well!  Happy hunting!

Ideeli
Gilt
RueLaLa
Beyond the Rack
Haute Look