FAR HILLS -- They came with their own bartenders in black ties, tables covered in patterned tablecloths and even their own custom-made bars.
"If you do something, you do it all the way," said Keith Fitting, 66, of Basking Ridge, as he stood before his handcrafted cherry wood bar fitted perfectly in the back of red SUV. "It's an excuse for a cocktail party for thousands of people."
Throngs of tailgaters descended on Moorland Farm Saturday for the 97th annual Far Hills Race Meeting for the richest day of steeplechase racing in the country.
Platters of cheese, petite sandwiches, salads and fried chicken filled rows of tailgating spots as patrons sipped on bubbly in long-stemmed glasses.
"We try to do it more like grown-ups," said Katherine Gargiulo, 32, of Madison who brought two bartenders to cater for her friends as they placed bets on the day's seven races. "We're celebrating this great part of New Jersey that not a lot of people think about."
Organizers estimated nearly 40,000 spectators filled the bucolic borough of Far Hills for the event. More than 1,600 tailgating spots were sold. Proceeds from the race benefit the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.
Races began at 1 p.m. with the total winnings at $800,000. The Grand National race, with a purse of $400,000, is the richest steeplechase race in the country.
"Come on, come on!" patrons yelled from the paddock as the first few races took off Saturday.
In previous years, dozens have been arrested for unruly behavior but police have cracked down recently, pushing that number down. About 250 officers from Far Hills, Bedminster, the Somerset Prosecutor's Office and New Jersey State Police were on hand. The number of arrests on Saturday wasn't immediately available.
The Far Hills race began as a fox hunting event in Montclair in 1870. In 1916, the event moved to Moorland Farm -- where it's still held today -- and eventually became known as the Far Hills Race Meeting.
One of the chairmen of the event, Ronald Kennedy, said it started as a thank you day to the property owners who let the horse events run through their land.
"At the time they came down in carriages," he said. "Over the years, the sport has grown."
And so have the crowds.
Across from the lavish spreads and next-level tailgating in the hilltop area, a rowdier crowd danced on the backs of pick up trucks blaring music in the infield section.
Red solo cups lay strewn on the grass as some race-goers stumbled across the field, holding on to friends and strangers. A line of food trucks lined one area offering empanadas and other fried foods. Others played beer pong as EMTs and officers stood nearby.
"You see the best and worst of some people," Fitting said. But for him, there were no solo cups for his tailgate. "I'm not drinking 20-year-old Scotch out of plastic," he laughed.
Longtime attendee Alice Chapman-Minutello said so far the day had been calm and no passerby had swiped at any of her bottles of champagne or fresh-made cookies this year.
"There's a strong police presence which we welcome," she said. Her family has has the same tailgating spot on the hilltop for 35 years.
"I call it my version of an adult picnic," she said. "We've got a perfect view."
The winners of the events were:
- The Gladstone: #6 Menancing Dennis
- The Harry E. Harris:#7 Whitman's Poetry
- The Foxbrook Champion Hurdle: #5 Zanjabeel
- The Grand National: #7 Mr. Hot Stuff
- The Appleton: #5 Lyonell
- The Peapack: #9 Lady Blanco
- The New Jersey Hunt Cup: #7 Where's the Beef
Patti Sapone contributed to this report.
Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.