The Yelptucky Derby

You did an outstanding job Kris, we thoroughly enjoyed the event. I’ve been to Woodbine many times but this was special. You did a great job bringing together small touches that made the experience.
The drinks and food from the upcoming Queens Plate were amazing. The highlights for me being the Churizio and Pineapple and lobster roll. Theming the event was also a great idea; it was fun to see everyone step up to the challenge — yourself included. All of this and I made money — three of my WIN bets landed. How could I not give 5 stars.
Well done!

# Unilocal #DERBY #WIN #ELITE
Few things that stood out about this event:
1. My $ 3 win
2. Kris looking so dapper in his suit!
This event was out of the world. Firstly, it was at Woodbine Racetrack! How cool of a venue is that. My first time there and I can’t wait to go back. Outdoor patio at the Champions Lounge in perfect summer weather, sipping on a blue curacao and Grey Goose cocktail — I don’t think there’s going to be an event that beats this. Surprise me!
The servers were excellent. Some of the items I tried:
— Crabcake sliders
— Tuna Tartar
— Churizio and Pineapple
— Veggie Rolls
— Chocolate covered strawberries
*sadly, they ran out of the shrimp cocktails. My fault. I was away betting most of my time there! And I really wanted to try it.
And drumroll for my favorite item on the menu!!!
The pistachio and chocolate chip ice cream sandwich.
Thanks for this amazing experience Kris. Summer’s here, we need outdoor mingling and this was definitely ACE.

Kudos to Kris AGAIN for the great work!
I’ve been to the Woodbine Racetracks before, but I know nothing about this place –it’s like a MAZE. Great staff!!! Thanks so much for the hospitality!
Did I think these things were lame, and was I totally mistaken:
— dress up for Kentucky Derby
— learn to bet with staff in the black shirts
— of course there’s food
And did we miss all the food yet again, oh yes we did. We had to get phở when we got to Mississauga. Woot phở!
Again, the staff was incredible.
Dressing up –yes it was really fun seeing everyone all beautiful! Unfortunately my hair didn’t behave in the wind even with the hat.
Love the bar in the middle. Amazing bartender.
OMG we could sit wherever we want, we could bring our beer to the betting stations!
And yes we met the horses!
And yes, learning about the Racetracks and how their systems work –totally unique and NOT lame! The staff were friendly, easy-​going, fun and relaxed, they were here to have fun as we were.
Thanks, Kris!!! Great event as always!

This venue was far from where I reside, I am very happy I went to this event. This event was definitely a worthwhile experience because I had never been to the Woodbine Race Track. The food, the bet cards, and the races made it an unique experience! The food server were sample of what would be served at the Queen’s plate event and each food item was far from ordinary!
The yellow rolls set up on the tables in the beginning of the event were good and also established the standard of the food that was being served. It would be nice to have a description of the food because I have no idea was the yellow soft roll was called or made out of. My suggestion for the roll would be to tone down the ginger one notch, otherwise very delicious. My favorites were the tuna, extremely well done and the churizo! The shrimp cocktail had a bit too much dill. I wish they brought out more duck confit, I never got a chance to try it ! Overall it was great event, with very very good drinks! Both the Budweiser beer and the signature cocktail definitely enhanced the evening!

Giddy up little Horsey Giddy up! Dern, I reckon that Pony I chose had a few too many {strong} Blue Diamond cocktails. I should of told my Jockey to Whip it… Whip it good.
Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. Those Yankees sitting next to me were as happy as a puppy with two peckers, holding those WINNING stubs.
A rather unique Queen’s Plate VIP-​style shindig at Woodbine Racetrack (Woodbine Entertainment Group). Lot’s of purdy little misses in attendance. It sure was a night to remember y’all.
Now I have a hankerin’ for more Tuna Tartare, Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus and Lobster Rolls from the Champions Bar and Patio.
Race Master General Kris U. My Hats off to Ya.

Great event! Well setup and perfectly executed! Nina bet on only winning horses so she will have to come back some time and make a million dollars.

This was an awesome event! BIG THANKS to KRIS U and WOODBINE RACE TRACK!
I have never been to the Woodbine Race track and what a perfect time to visit! We had the pleasure to enjoy the Queen’s plate food items and signature drink. I really enjoyed the shrimp cocktail and the duck confit item. The salmon tartare was delicious. I thought the tuna/​curry roll was quite interesting, the more I had, the more it grew on me. The dessert was awesome, chocolate covered strawberries with pistachio and crème brûlée… ohhh yummy! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try the ice cream sandwich, but they looked sooo good.
Another highlight of the night was the complimentary play card of $ 2 (Thx Kris!). I have never played before and only watched it on TV… quite an experience! On the 2^nd race, my horse came in 2^nd. yay!
I was also quite surprised on how new and nice the venue was as I remember always driving by this place when I was younger. Definitely a thumbs up to Woodbine Race Track.
Looking forward to the next event!

As probably one of the few (and only) Out-​of-​Towner Elites, Kris definitely showed me some awesome and down to earth GTA Hospitality (no not Grand Theft Auto, kids).
The event went by in a flash, meeting Unilocalers from all corners of the GTA. Race horses galloping down the track with no luck on my complimentary $ 2.00. It wasn’t a total loss, the ‘Blue Diamond Cocktails’ and Budweiser premium brew to kept the fun going.
Lastly, what isn’t a Unilocal party without some obligatory Hors d’Oeuvres highlights to keep us well fed:
(snapped some pics but my phone isn’t charged from last night so I’ll give it to you in description)
–Cocktail Shrimp Martini
–Chicken Tikki Masala Crepes
–Tuna Tartare
–Deep-​Fried Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
(I know there’s more but I was fixated on the socializing of Unilocalers and winning my $ 2.00 horse bets at the moment)
Desserts are as followed:
–Pistachio Encrusted Ice Cream Sandwiches
–Crème Brûlée
Per usual, we got plenty of the obligatory Unilocal swag all over, kept our Queen’s Plate cups and snapped up a few shots before wrapping up the evening. It’s only been 72 hours and a part of me feels as if I never left the west coast.
Awesome getting acquainted with everyone and Kris, thanks so much for the opportunity to see what you hold down in the GTA. Five Stars all around.
P. S. The name of the bun, the lettuce and the holy dressing. Amen.

Well, I haven’t been to the racetrack in close to over 15 years, but Woodbine sure has improved. I think they used to charge for parking but now it’s free, which makes things so much easier. I remember having to park at Woodbine Centre across the street so we didn’t have to pay.
In terms of the event itself, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. I was maybe expecting some beef sliders, pigs in a blanket, maybe some wings and beer. You know, the normal sports staples where it’s just «okay». The food was actually amazing. Besides dessert, I think almost everything had seafood. Lobster roll, crab cake sliders, some veggie kabobs, I really can’t remember. I was having so much fun that I almost totally forgot about food. Oh and the rum ice cream cake or whatever was absolutely DIVINE!
Once again, another awesome event and I really appreciated getting $ 2 to bet and I was up over 200% at one point (had a balance of $ 5.40), but in the end, I left with 0.40. Guess I’ll upgrade my coffee to soya milk today.
Thanks again Kris! You are da bomb.

Awesome + Fun = PERFECT!
I am very lucky I got a chance to attend the Unilocaltucky Derby. Thank you very much to Kris for organizing this awesome and fun event! It is only my third Unilocal event but I am pretty sure it is the best and will be one of the best events!!!
This is my first visit to the Woodbine Racetrack, my first attempt to doll up with a fascinator, and my first bet on horseracing by myself (started with a free $ 2 racing bet and my own $ 2 investment lol). Oops, I lost though.
I had so much fun at the event meeting new Unilocal friends, enjoying good food, drinks and horse racing bet. I love the tuna tartare, crab cake slider, the shrimp salad cocktail, the strawberry chocolate dip, etc., and of course the ice cream sandwich at last. They all looked good and yummy. The blue diamond drink was mixed very good and easy to drink.
It was a total perfect evening!

UnilocalTUCKEY DERBY — ELITE NIGHT
When you think of horse racing, automatically you think of The Woodbine Race Track and the notorious «Queens Plate»… Well Unilocaltuckey Derby was a spin off of this annual great event.
All Elite members and their plus one’s turned out dressed for the occasion, women sported their Hats and Fasenators to match their dresses. Men looked very sheak in their sports jackets, shirts, ties and polished shoes. It truly felt like a preview of the Queens Plate.
The event took place in the Champion Bar in the outside Patio area. Awesome venue.
Once signed in I made my way over to the bar where they were offering a Queen’s Plate cocktail and a keepsake glass. Beer and food was ongoing. May I say the food was delicious and again all samples that will be served at the Q.P. in July.
A complimentary $ 2 betting card was alloted to each of us. Having little to no knowledge on how to place a bet I was given the low down on how to place bets by one of the two helpers from Woodbine. Made it so much easier. Staff were all so friendly and great. I went solo and had an aweome time. Thank you Kristian for putting so much time and effort into this event.

Kris doesn’t cease to amaze me. These elite events just keep getting better and better. Like many it was my first time on a race track and it sure was memorable. And all the credit goes to the awesome staff of Woodbine race track and of course Kris U.
We had a plethora of appetizers to start off with. I personally liked the tuna tartare. The fish was very fresh and packed with a lot of great flavours. I love the tuna rolls and fried chip as well. I am guessing everyone else did too cause when I went to get a second helping they were already out! The duck confit was a delicious little treat as well. Oh and how can I forget the shrimp cocktail swimming in an ocean of mayonnaise.
I enjoyed the desserts the most. Huge strawberries covered with delicious dark and white chocolate, vanilla crème brulé and heavenly ice cream sandwiches.
We were all given pre-​loaded betting cards courtesy of the Woodbine racetrack and got a tutorial from some really friendly staff. And as if all this was not enough, they also let us take home some of their special queen’s plate cocktail glasses home.
What an amazing event! Thank you Woodbine Racetrack, Champion’s Bar and Kris!

From the invite, I didn’t quite know what to expect at The Unilocaltucky Derby! What I did know was that fascinators + dressing up fancy + some sorta theme + racetrack were involved and that was enough for me. ;)
By far, this was probably my FAV Unilocal ELITE EVENT! Why? In addition to the fancy elements above, there was also a chance to interact with other Elites and their lovely +1s by learning something new together, betting on horses. At least this was a new experience for me and I even won 2 races!!!
Thank you Unilocal/​Kris/​Woodbine for arranging to start all the partygoers off with complimentary $ 2 bets.
And how can I forget about the food & drinks? Highlights:
— ‘Blue Diamond’ cocktails which tasted like gin ‘n tonic, my fav!
— Lobster Roll, how decadent
— Shrimp Cocktail, sauce sorta tasted like Big Mac sauce and had shrimp (s) at the bottom
— Crabcakes, YUMMERS!
— Tuna Tartar with a soy/​ginger sauce
— and what about those desserts!!! Re: ginormous chocolate dipped strawberries, ice cream cookie sandwiches in at least 2 diff flavours, & a vanilla/​lemon custard.
And daaang, there was Duck Confit? How did I miss that one?
The only con I could think of was that I didn’t have more room in my stomach to eat MORE!!!
I think I can speak on the behalf of everyone when I say this, a great night was had by ALL!!!

First time setting foot on a horse racing track and Unilocal made it that much more fun!
I love gambling and there is nothing better than gambling with free food and free drinks involved. Kris even provided us with a toonie so that we could have the thrill of betting on horses with all their creative names and what not.
I saw horse names like Dupes and Devil’s Willie and such. And let’s be honest, most of the people I spoke to were betting on horses based strictly off their name. If I had a horse, I’d probably try to come up with some ridiculous names too like «Oh-​No-​My-​Mother-​In-​Law» or «Run-​Forrest-​Run». I might have some people just say «Ah, what the hell… I like the name of THAT horse»
As for the event, I loved the service and how everyone was trying to show you how to bet as well as took us down to the track level so that we could see my horse lose in person. It was great.
The food was superb with sausages, crab cake sammies, shrimp salad cups, and their heavenly lobster rolls. I fought the urge to jump that server and steal all those lobster rolls for myself but I’m sure Kris wouldn’t invite me back to an Elite Event afterwards, so I refrained.
The specialty cocktail was great as it was a mix of everything the bartender could put his hands on. I almost thought the guy was winging it as he just seemed to try and throw everything possible into it. No complaints here.
I loved the event. I love the people. I love the service. The Horses’s names. The free stuff. And all the colorful clothing that you Unilocalers threw on.
Big Thank you to Kris U and the people behind Champions at Woodbine Racetrack!

I was lucky to be a +1 at this event. Never been to derby before and honestly did not know what to expect. This Unilocal event was held at Champions located inside the Woodbine Racetrack. I’m super bad at remember names of things, but each appetizer i tried was delicious. I’d say my favourite one was the ball with duck inside. I also enjoyed the beer and specialty blue drink. Fantastic. Now as for the race itself, we each were kindly provided with a $ 2 betting card (thanks Kris!!) to bet on a race. I bet on #6 horse on the 3^rd race to «WIN!». Unfortunately the #6 tried hard, but landed 3^rd. Even thought i lost, it was still fun and exciting. I definitely had a great time!
Great event Kris, looking forward to (hopefully) attending the next one!

I’ve been going to Humber and Guelph-​Humber for the past four years and I’ve never set foot in the Woodbine Racetrack before!
This elite event was pretty awesome because since when did we get to bet on horses while enjoying delicious appetizers and drinks. I really liked the diamond drink. I felt the alcohol get to me halfway through and what was really good about it was that it didn’t taste strong. My favourite bites were during dessert! The chocolate strawberries were yummy and looked very elegant that you wouldn’t expect it at a racetrack. Lastly, we all finished off with a giant ice cream sandwich covered with pistachios or black cherry chocolate.
This was a great event, Kris! Totally different from the other events and I’m looking forward to the next event.

I’ve lived in Toronto all my life and I’ve never been here to the Woodbine Racetrack. The only racing I’ve ever bet on are the little plastic racehorses at the Casinos in Montréal and Hull. (Loads of fun too, but real life is so much better!)
Kris always manages to deliver a fine balance of food, drinks, and entertainment.
I particularly enjoyed the tuna tartare and the lobster rolls. The strawberries dipped in chocolate were a real treat along with the ice cream sandwiches! Well chosen!
Where else can you get 2.5 hours of fun for only 2 bucks??? Awesome time!!! Thank you!!!

My Order: A little of everything… ;)
Pros:
— Champions had a very breath-​taking patio overlooking the race track and the beauty of summer day just made for an amazing event
— Beer, mixed drinks and unlimited hors d’oeuvres? Yes please…
— I loved the variety of foods, from asparagus wrapped in prosciutto to black cherry ice cream sandwiches, everything was nothing short of delectable
— Free cash cards to bet?! SCORE. I was so close to winning… :(
Nothing but pros, obviously. The combination of a beautiful day with such a serene ambiance took my breath away. Kris, you have outdone yourself!

I really enjoyed this Unilocal Elite event. I’ve never been to a race track before, so this was a first. The free $ 2 bet was a nice touch to keep us all «invested» in the horse racing. Although I lost it all on race 2, I enjoyed supporting my fellow Unilocalers in their winnings. The Blue Diamond drink was pretty good, though a little too sweet. I thought I could handle a second, but it didn’t happen. I enjoyed the appetizers, including the lobster rolls and the tuna stuffed egg rolls (I think?). The ice cream sandwiches were my favorite dessert.
I enjoyed walking down near the finish line and feeling the excitement when the horses crossed the finish line. Thanks to umm Optimus Prime for bringing us down there.
Thanks to Kris for organizing a fun-​filled evening! All of the ladies looked elegant, and the gents looked dapper.

Horse Racing
Beer and food
Queen’s Plate Special Cocktail Blue Diamond with keepsake glass
And me and Matt pick the wining horse Race #5 Horse #3 for a WIN! And Namrata same race Horse #7 for a Place!
What an exciting night!
Thanks Kris U for organizing and Woodbine’s Champion Bar for hosting!
We are all a winner tonight!