Not one of the lucky 45,000 people attending the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland this year? Don’t worry—there are still plenty of ways to have an amazing Breeders’ Cup experience at home. We’ve put together this guide with ways to decorate, celebrate, and venerate the best Thoroughbreds currently competing in horse racing. With our help, party planning will be a breeze and you’ll be able to enjoy the World Championships races from home and in style.

Set the tone

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When throwing any party, striking the right tone is half the battle. Breeders’ Cup is a day of fun and excitement, and you want that mood to translate to your party decor. The signature colors for the Breeders’ Cup are purple and gold, which is a great starting point for your decorations, especially for party essentials like tablecloths, napkins, and dinnerware.

Add fun touches with horse-shaped balloons, drink stirrers topped with horses, or cupcake picks decked out with gold glitter. And of course, you’ll want all your guests feeling like they’re in the winner’s circle, so make sure you put together an arrangement of flowers featuring yellow and purple chrysanthemums to emulate the garland of flowers the winning horse receives.

Make sure you have plenty of cups on hand to keep beverages flowing. We like these ones from the Breeders’ Cup Shop that are both great looking and reusable!

Plan the Menu

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The next crucial step is crafting the perfect menu. With this year’s race at Keeneland, you might want to consider taking inspiration from some Kentucky specialties. BBQ is always a crowd favorite, but make sure you add burgoo and the hot brown sandwich to your list of possible recipes for the big day.

For those that have a sweet tooth, go for a throwback and try out one of the recipes from the Breeders’ Cup episode of Cupcake Wars. With four cupcake flavors to choose from, you’re bound to find one that will appeal to your party attendees.

To top the menu off, concoct the perfect cocktails! The Breeders’ Cup has two signature cocktails: the Torrie and the Garland. These beverages will both delight your taste buds and make you feel like you’re trackside!

Last but not least, make sure you have champagne on hand for when someone wins big on their exacta or trifedta bet. Consider adding some edible gold glitter to the champagne flutes for both a festive touch and to distract anyone whose pockets might be a bit lighter post-race.

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Get Everyone in on the Action

When inviting your guests, make sure to mention your preferred dress code for the party. Is this a casual get-together or are you dressing up in your Breeders’ Cup best? With the expectation set, everyone can attend feeling confident about what they’re wearing — with or without a fancy hat.

After everyone is on the same page about what to wear, clear up any possible confusion around betting. For anyone new to horse racing, our Beginner’s Guide to the Breeders’ Cup is a great place to start.

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From there, establish if you’ll have your own betting games at the party or if people should download apps, like the one from Breeders’ Cup’s partner FanDuel. Be sure to let anyone who is betting online know to register in advance of the races as it can take a few days for your account to get fully set up. If someone is new to the sport but wants to dive into betting on races, make sure they follow America’s Best Racing, so they can stay up-to-date on the industry’s top experts and their favorites for each race. They can also check out our Gambling Calculator as a great resource to bookmark!

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Not looking to make wagering part of your event? Aside from simply watching the races, there are plenty of ways you add more fun to race day. Consider making a game out who can pick the most winners out of your group, poll everyone for the top three funniest horse names of those competing, or simply chat and enjoy spending this time together centered around your favorite sport.

After taking all of these steps, you’ll have the ultimate Breeders’ Cup party planned! We’d love to see what you’re planning and what your setup looks like on race day, so make sure to tag us at @americasbestracing (or @ABRLive on Twitter) to show us your awesome party!