I have been getting the question “Do ladies actually wear hats to the Breeder’s Cup?” Some ladies do, others do not.  However, over the years, I have seen more ladies wear hats.

Depending on where Breeder’s Cup is held, the weather is cold or warm, determines the style of hat.  In California, a heavier felt hat would be out of place.

I went to Breeder’s Cup in 2010 to watch the great Zenyatta race.  As I had always been a huge fan, it was heartbreaking to see her only loss.  The race was held at Churchill Downs.  It was quite cold that year and could not get warm!  Glad I had a heavier hat on. My hat was a felt, with the edge rimmed in ivory.  I used feathers to create height and volume.

Probably one of the most unusual fascinators that I have designed was for a Breeder’s Cup client.  She wanted to have real horseshoes on her hat, so we found a blacksmith to weld the horseshoes together.  The horseshoes were then sewn to the base with the feathers and quill shooting out.  It was quite a project to undertake while I was had a 102 fever.  As they say, the show must go on!

I was very proud of the horseshoe fascinator.

What sort of hat would I recommend for the Breeder’s Cup Races, held in Del Mar this year? Well, for an event in southern California, I would recommend a light fascinator or saucer hat.  The track is near the ocean, so I would recommend having a headband that fits well.

As always, we create custom hats and fascinators for clients.  Click on Breeder’s Cup to view our current collection for Breeder’s Cup.