The 29th annual Opening Day Hats Contest at Del Mar drew more than 150 contestants. Categories included Most Glamorous, Best Fascinator, Best Flowers, and Best Racing/All Others Theme. Contestants competed for more than $4,000 in total cash and prizes, distributed to first to third-place winners in each category.

The Grand Prize winner was Leslie Monroy (above) of Spring Valley who competed in the Best Flowers category. Monroy’s Barbie-pink head-to-toe look hat donned more than 500 pink rose petals, 70 gold horses, with a fabulous long train of orchids. The bright pink horse formed a trail of flowers on its track.

Judges loved the creativity, artistry, and track theme tie-in. Monroy won a one-night stay and meal for two at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, a $500 Studio Savvy Salon gift basket, and a $300 cash prize for a total value of $1,800. She was also the first-place winner in the Best Flowers category.

First place in the Most Glamorous category was awarded to Dea Wilson from Loomis with a matching sea-foam green and cotton candy pink plumed hat, looking fabulous from head to toe. The floppy-brimmed hat with plumes of white, pink, and foam-green feathers also featured golden butterflies stilettos, and everything in between worked perfectly.

First place in the category of Best Fascinator went to Allison Karlstrand from Dana Point. Her Barbie-inspired look was a chef’s kiss. Her stunning bright pink and purple “hatinator” – a gorgeous fascinator larger than life. The sculptural artistry and dimensional creativity combined with the Barbie-perfect white high-top sneakers.

A true crowd-pleaser and certainly memorable in the Best Racing Theme/All Others went to milliner Chris Banner from Valley Center. The creative theme, “Bee kind to the porcupine,” was well thought out from head to toe. The hat created a porcupine “mohawk/mullet” look with knee-high leather buckle punk rock boots, black kilt, with a matching cane bedazzled with pool balls, etc.