Horse Play

A day of revelry awaited all who trekked to Belmont Park for the third leg of the Triple Crown this past Saturday. While there was no possibility of a Triple Crown victor at this 141st running of the Belmont Stakes, there was still plenty of drama to be had.

At 1.5 miles, the Belmont Stakes is the longest of the Triple Crown racetracks and, thus, the most challenging both for horse and jockey. Therein lay the drama of this particular afternoon—this race was a potential historic Triple Crown win for jockey Calvin Borel, who was riding Mine That Bird.

To witness this epic feat, some Manhattanites (yours truly included) attempted to recreate the fashionable grandeur ordinarily reserved for the Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot.

Sadly, hats were few and far between, but I did notice a marked increase in women donning their summer chapeaux for the occasion this year. It's my fervent hope that one day New York not only rivals Kentucky in its spectacle of millinery talent but actually becomes a contender with Ascot as the choice of venue for debuts of millinery genius.

But back to the race! Sadly, this year's Belmont Stakes dashed all dreams of gaining entry into the record books. Calvin Borel and his much-favored Mine That Bird came in third place after being beaten by a late surge by Summer Bird, a horse with long odds stacked against it. For video, click here and for more pics, click here.

Our group of racing aficionados is nonetheless 2 for 3 on this year's Triple Crown races, with Jessica Shrier having bet on Summer Bird and Daniel Ezra scoring an even-longer-odds win by putting his money on Mine that Bird at the Kentucky Derby. —Lizzie da Trindade-Asher

For more photos, click here.

And They Partied Like It Was 1899

The costumery was straight out of an Edith Wharton novel, but last night's party at The Box was anything but a dainty homage to the age of innocence. Sponsored by nerve.com and Hendrick's Gin, the invitation-only burlesque event welcomed a packed house of party-goers, all of whom impressed in their nineteenth-century finery. They sipped vintage-inspired cocktails while taking in the bawdy theatrics unfolding on stage and in the air. If this is what life was like in the nineteenth century, put us on the waiting list for a time machine. From hats to corsets, gowns to morning coats, the only things not period-accurate last night were the ever-present BlackBerrys. A small price to pay for a glimpse of life in an age that revealed less but foretold so much more.

For more photos, click here.