Ever since Vancouver-based jockey Mario Gutierrez won the Kentucky Derby aboard I’ll Have Another, horse racing has gotten something of a second wind in this city. The inaugural Deighton Cup promises to add to what’s already been a winning season.
Named after Vancouver’s original good-time guy and the city’s first saloon owner, Captain “Gassy Jack” Deighton, the two-day event at Gutierrez’s home turf of Hastings Racetrack is an odds-on favourite for event of the summer.
Post time is Friday night, Aug. 10, with the Big Smoke, a Rat Pack-style ode to the exploits of Frank Sinatra and his boys at the legendary Hollywood Park Race Track. Think complimentary, hand-rolled cigars from Cigar Connoisseur, flights of premium Scotch and bourbon provided by Glenmorangie and Woodford Reserve, a pig roast and a whole lot of wagering on horseflesh. (If you’ve never placed a track bet before, organizers will be offering a master class in picking a winner.)
But pace yourself, because the following afternoon sees the return of the annual thoroughbred event: a parade of suave gentlemen sporting ascots and pretty little fillies in fascinators and slinky summer dresses hosted by Miss America 2012, Laura Kaeppeler, ensconced on her Veuve Clicquot throne. Sip on signature cocktails, view luxury cars from Auto One, and watch your long shot pay off surrounded by 1,000 swank party-goers.
And the last jewel in this Triple Crown is the Jockey Club after party at Gastown hotspot HousexGuest, featuring complimentary cocktails and a three-course prix fixe menu paired with wine and champagne flights.
Individual event tickets and all-access passes are available online. But hurry because the race is on.
PLUS, THIS WEEK IN PUBLIC DRINKING:
Great White // Dîner en Blanc
Tickets for Vancouver’s first-ever Dîner en Blanc went on sale last night and if you want in on the fun, you better get over to their website and get yourself on the guest list. On Thursday Aug. 30 some 1,200 diners dressed in their best whites will converge on a secret outdoor location for a dining experience unlike any this city has ever seen. A 24-year Paris institution where the crowds number in the tens of thousands, Vancouver’s inaugural Dîner en Blanc allows guests to either bring their own picnic, or pre-purchase a box dinner from Top Chef Dale MacKay online. And, if that weren’t enough, organizers have worked out a special liquor license with the city that allows diners to pre-purchase from a list of three red wines, three white wines, a prosecco or champagne and then drink their bottles in public. In Vancouver.
Click here for more info and to sign up for the guest list.
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Image courtesy of * raymond.
