A day at the races can mean so much more than horse racing. This past Saturday, throngs of Toronto's most stylish partygoers descended on Woodbine Racetrack for the inaugural running of the Greenwood Stakes. 

The event — Toronto's hottest new ticket on the summer social calendar — drew a fabulously eclectic crowd. Top fashion trendsetters, including actor Natalie Brown, designers David Dixon and Evan Biddell and philanthropist/socialite Suzanne Rogers, mingled with eager foodies and old-school race fans for a day like no other. 

There's just something about going to an event like this. The anticipation started early. For the jockeys, sure, but I'm talking about me! I agonized over my ability to "dress to impress" and whether or not I would be judged for not sporting a bowtie. 

That being said, the fashion did not disappoint. Bold, bright-patterned dresses and slick pastel suits were the norm and provided optimal people-watching conditions. Accessories ranged from the fantastic fascinators we've come to love, to hats that seemed more like architectural marvels than fashion pieces; real feats of engineering if you ask me. 

Let's not forget about the horses though. With ten races scheduled 32 minutes apart, the action was intense. The day was a flurry of betting, cheering and strategizing with others — friends and strangers — about who to bet on next (or which cocktail best suited my ahi tuna poke bowl). 

It was infectious. Even those without a penchant for gambling were excited. I overheard a group chatting with great giddiness and concern over the $2 bet they placed on "that horse that kind of sounds like Northern Dancer." 

Even though many in attendance, myself included, may not necessarily call themselves "race fans," and considering the focus on fashion, food and all the other modern touches (think DJ booth and art installations), there was still a certain mystique from a bygone era that permeated the place. Granted, I wasn't taking betting advice from a guy who knew the pedigree of every horse, or how well No. 8 in the third race performs in hot weather, but the storied history of horse racing, both good and bad, was with me throughout the day. 

I imagined old men who've lived interesting, and often hard, lives slamming that rolled up race program against the railing as they cheered on their horse, and I was caught up in the heart-pounding excitement along with everyone else. 

Now that the festivities have wrapped and I've returned to my, less fashion-focused, 21st century lifestyle, I can't help but wait in anticipation for what the Greenwood Stakes has in store for us next year.