Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:24:37 -0400 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/ en-us http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/images/logo.gif http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/ grantrac@grantracingstable.com http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article23.phtml Ageless Evening Attire Earns BC Berth by Jason Shandler Date Posted: 7/19/2008 4:50:16 PM Last Updated: 7/23/2008 3:58:59 PM Five years after running in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita, Evening Attire will have a chance to run on America’s richest day of racing once again, as the remarkable 10-year-old iron horse romped to a 8 1/4-length victory in the $250,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes at Philadelphia Park July 19, in the process breaking a 16-year-old track record and locking up a berth in the newly-created Breeders’ Cup Marathon. The 1 1/2-mile Greenwood Cup was a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” event, the first one ever at Philly Park. The Breeders’ Cup Marathon will be held Oct. 25 on Santa Anita’s Cushion Track. Trained by Pat Kelly and ridden by Jose Espinoza, Evening Attire recorded his 15th career victory in 69 starts. Incredibly, this was his fist win outside of New York. It was also his first win in six tries this season, although he had been runner-up three times, including his most recent start, the 1 1/2-mile Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) June 6 at Belmont. A gray/roan son of Black Tie Affair, Evening Attire was the only one of the six Greenwood Cup starters to have tried a 12-furlong test. “We finally got one on the road,” Kelly said. “They were walking early, so that helped us. And then Jose cut the corner and did a great job on him. I was worried about the heat because it’s hot, but there was a nice breeze. “This horse is so classy. What an amazing animal. He’s one in a million.” As usual, Evening Attire broke slowly and trailed the field through a half-mile. Four-time stakes winner and 9-5 favorite Barcola jumped to the early lead and took the field around the oval. The 5-year-old son of Old Trieste posted moderate fractions of :24.82, :48.57, 1:13.12, and 1:37.47. Three in the Bag stalked the pace in second, while Phil the Power was third through a mile. Evening Attire began to make his move after the mile-marker while advancing along the rail. The gelding took over from a tiring Barcola just beyond the quarter-pole and increased his lead with every stride. Phil the Power was a clear second at 30-1 under Tony Black, while Barcola settled for third. The final time was 2:29.90 on a fast main track. The previous track record for 1 1/2 miles was 2:31 flat, set by Laugh a Minute Jan. 4, 1992. A Kentucky homebred of Joe and Mary Grant, and Tom Kelly, Evening Attire is out of the Our Native mare Concolour. Now with a 15-16-9 mark, he has earned $2,977,130. Evening Attire, who now has 11 stakes wins, started in the Breeders’ Cup Classic twice. In his first appearance at Arlington Park in 2002 he finished fourth. The following year he was seventh. Kelly was non-committal about going back to the Breeders’ Cup. “Well, it’s a long way off,” the trainer said. “It’s only July. We’ll have to see how he is and talk it over. In the meantime, I’ll have to start looking at another 1 1/2-mile race for him.” Going off as the second choice, Evening Attire paid $6.40, $3.20 and $2.60. The exacta (6-5) was worth $80, while the trifecta (6-5-1) returned $171.20. Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:24:37 -0400 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article22.phtml Still Dapper Evening Attire to Brooklyn by Claire Novak Date Posted: 6/4/2008 4:04:45 PM Last Updated: 6/6/2008 11:36:06 AM Trainer Pat Kelly was about to take Evening Attire out of stakes competition, to try the 10-year-old gelding in a few allowance races or to pick spots in turf routes as a main-track-only entry. But the seasoned runner turned in such a solid performance in his last start that NYRA stakes coordinator Andrew Byrnes was able to convince Kelly to tackle the $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park. Coming off a strong runner-up performance in Belmont’s May 15 Fit to Fight Stakes, Evening Attire enters the June 6 Brooklyn against a field of seven runners including Edward Evans’ 4-year-old Nite Light, a likely favorite after winning four of his last five starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Giussepe Iadisernia’s Delosvientos, a 5-year-old Siphon gelding who got the best of Evening Attire last time out. Evening Attire was 2 ¼ lengths behind Delosvientos in the 1 ½-mile Fit to Fight, when he broke slowly and trailed the field before making a three-wide move to get up for second-best. In 67 starts for Kelly, there’s not much the son of Black Tie Affair hasn’t done. But one move he hasn’t quite tackled is the break from the gate. “Unfortunately he usually gives the youngsters an advantage when he breaks, especially when he’s on the inside,” Kelly said of the gelding, who has drawn post one for the Brooklyn. “He’s very tall and his first jump out of the gate is kind of a hop, because he’s got stilt legs and it just takes him a minute to get going. In the past it hasn’t hurt him, but he’s left a lot of money on the table.” In addition to his poor gate skills – a situation Kelly hoped to remedy by sending the gelding to a four-furlong breeze from the gate May 31 – Evening Attire is also just one for 18 at Belmont Park, where he won the 2002 edition of the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I). “2002 is a long time ago, and he just got real lucky that day,” Kelly said. “The pace collapsed and it was muddy and cold, a few of the things he likes. He came flying and got the money, but the rest of his Belmont races haven’t been that good. Still, he ran so nice in his last start, and it’s tough to find races as long as the Brooklyn – and he’ll run all day, so we’re giving it a shot.” Evening Attire carries 114 pounds, three less than Nite Light’s 117. The son of Thunder Gulch comes into the Brooklyn after finishing second in the April 5 Excelsior Handicap (gr. III). Third in the Excelsior was Winning Move Stables’ Angliana, a 6-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway whose most recent effort was a runner-up effort in a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Belmont May 9. Trained by Gary Contessa, Angliana seeks his first graded stakes win after a score in the Aqueduct Handicap. Also in the Brooklyn are Phipps Stable’s Sightseeing, third last time out in the April 30 Westchester Handicap (gr. III) at one mile, and Lewis Pell and Michael Eigner’s Imawildandcrazyguy, winner of the May 4 Sumter Stakes at Calder in his last start. Jayeff B Stables’ Awfully Smart, third in the May 10 Brandywine Stakes at Delaware Park for trainer Alan Goldbert, completes the field. $200,000 Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II, race 9, approximate post 5:12 p.m.), 1 ½ miles for older horses, dirt PP, Horse, Weight, Jockey 1. Evening Attire, 114, Cornelio Velasquez 2. Delosvientos, 116, Eibar Coa 3. Angliana, 115, Rajiv Maragh 4. Sightseeing, 115, Edgar Prado 5. Imawildandcrazyguy, 114, Jeffrey Sanchez 6. Nite Light, 117, John Velazquez 7. Awfully Smart, 115, Javier Castellano Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:21:35 -0400 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article21.phtml From NYRA Evening Attire Comes Up Short in 10-Year-Old Debut By Eric Donovan | January 19, 2008 He made a gallant effort in his 64th career start, but 10-year-old Evening Attire came up a length short of winning the second Aqueduct Handicap of his career when he was beaten by Angliana Saturday afternoon. After his customary slow break, Evening Attire settled in at the back of the pack with Ramon Dominguez aboard. The pace duel between Pink Viper and Judiths Wild Rush set up for someone to come from off the pace and that someone was six-year-old Angliana, who sat just behind the duel. Evening Attire picked up steam around the far turn and rallied strongly, but just ran out of ground. “He ran good,” said Pat Kelly, Evening Attire’s trainer, who will now point the gray to the March 1st Stymie Handicap. “The track’s been pretty speed favoring. If he doesn’t win, he really makes the winner run hard.” The victory was a sweet one for Angliana’s team, including owner Alvin Haynes, trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and jockey Alan Garcia. Angliana missed about nine months of racing due to a cyst in his sinus. He returned to the races January 1st with a second-place finish at Philadelphia Park. “Alan gave him a great ride,” said Art Magnuson, McLaughlin’s assistant. “This horse can fall behind very easily, but Alan kept him close. This was great. We didn’t think he’d run again after the spring.” Angliana, a son of Giant’s Causeway out of Jade Hunter mare Pratella, completed the mile and a sixteenth in 1:43 1/5 and paid $11.20 to win. Pacemaker Judiths Wild Rush held on for third, a nose behind Evening Attire. Sat, 19 Jan 2008 18:00:27 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article20.phtml From DRF Aqueduct | Posted 1/17/2008 Evening Attire faces obstacles By DAVID GRENING OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Evening Attire will certainly be the sentimental choice and, given his class edge over six rivals, perhaps the post-time favorite for Saturday's $75,000 Aqueduct Handicap. But the popular 10-year-old gelding will have several obstacles to overcome if he is to duplicate his victory in last month's Grade 3 Queens County Handicap. Foremost could be the distance. Evening Attire has raced only four times at 1 1/16 miles, and has not won at this distance since taking the 2002 Aqueduct. His late kick fell just short when second in this race in 2004 and 2006. Trainer Pat Kelly acknowledges that this is not Evening Attire's best distance, but the veteran appears to be doing too well to leave him in the barn. "He was pulling Danny's arms out this morning," Kelly said Wednesday, referring to exercise rider Danny Vogt. Evening Attire may have gotten some help when Pink Viper joined the field. That could set up a possible pace battle between Pink Viper, who drew the rail, and Judiths Wild Rush, who breaks from post 3. Then again, if Pink Viper duplicates his performance in the Brushing Up Stakes here on Jan. 3, he may well be the horse to beat. In that race, Pink Viper stalked the pacesetting Shopton Lane, and was tackled and passed by favored Stunt Man in the stretch, only to come back and beat Stunt Man by a length while earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure. Pink Viper, a half-brother to the Grade 1-winning Flashy Bull, proceeded to gallop out superbly. Though Pink Viper is coming back on only 16 days' rest, a bullet half-mile breeze on Wednesday signaled his readiness. "He came out of his race really high on himself and he's just been training real super," trainer Joseph DeMola said. "He's put a lot of weight on. He kind of goes into a sulky state and drops weight, but the last two starts he's gained weight." Judiths Wild Rush comes off a second in the Native Dancer Stakes at Laurel Park and now stretches out around two turns. He finished second to Happy Hunting - the 2006 Aqueduct Handicap winner - in an allowance race over the inner track last March. "He blew both front shoes in that race, and he wasn't as good as he is now," said trainer Julian Canet, who is 0 for 17 at this meet with 5 seconds and 3 thirds. Angliana, second in this race last year, makes his second start since undergoing surgery to repair a throat problem. Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:58:38 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article19.phtml From NYRA Grant Hoping For Evening Attire/Patriots Double By Eric Donovan | January 17, 2008 This is a big weekend for 58-year-old Boston native Joe Grant. In addition to rooting on his beloved New England Patriots in the American Football Conference Championship Game Sunday afternoon, Grant will be glued to a TV in Saratoga on Saturday around 3:50 p.m. to watch Evening Attire, the veteran gelding he owns with his wife, Mary, and retired Hall of Fame trainer Tommy “T.J.” Kelly, make his 10-year-old debut in the 89th running of the $75,000 Aqueduct Handicap at a mile and a sixteenth. Those connected with Evening Attire have enjoyed an unbelievable ride that began on a January morning at Hialeah Park in Florida, exactly eight years prior to the day of the Aqueduct Handicap. “I remember walking across the barn area at Hialeah with my wife and T.J.,” Grant recalled. “It was the morning of his first published workout and before Evening Attire got on the track, T.J. turned to me and said, ‘We’ve got something special.’ Watching him come down the stretch, you could see he was such a long-striding horse. Eight years later, he’s still putting smiles on our faces.” Evening Attire has taken the Grants and Kellys to the Breeders’ Cup twice, won them more than $2.7 million and produced 10 stakes wins, including the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in 2002. The son of Black Tie Affair’s best days probably passed him about six years ago, but the veteran is still proving he loves to race and can be competitive near the top levels of the sport. He comes in off a Grade 3 win in the Queens County Handicap last month. “Back when he was doing exceptionally well, we were getting offers to sell him that probably would have made us better off financially now, but that’s not why we’re in this game,” Grant said. “I really believe he keeps T.J. (who turns 89 later this year) young. T.J. was crying after he won the Queens County.” In Friday’s Daily Racing Form, Pat Kelly, T.J.’s son and the trainer of Evening Attire, was asked to rank the gelding’s career achievements from one to 10. Pat chose the Jockey Club Gold Cup victory as his favorite moment, but Grant had a different view. “The most excited I’ve been through his career was when he won the Discovery Handicap (2001),” Grant said, fondly remembering the day Evening Attire pulled off a 65-1 upset over heavily-favored Street Cry. “I remember watching TVG and listening to them saying he didn’t deserve to be in the race against Street Cry. “My second-favorite moment was when he broke his maiden at Saratoga. It was so close, we couldn’t tell if he won or not.” In the early days, Evening Attire was trained by Pat’s brother Tim, who retired from training in the fall of 2000. Unfortunately for Tim, it was not until Evening Attire was brought back for his three-year-old season that he transformed into a stakes winner. “We gelded him because his testicles were undescended and growing inside of him,” Grant said. “He showed a lot of promise in his first start with blinkers, which was a turf race he finished sixth in, but got into a lot of trouble. That race led us to taking a shot in the Discovery.” Fast forwarding to Saturday’s Aqueduct Handicap, in which Evening Attire finished second in 2004 and 2006, Grant said he is a little concerned about the mile-and-a-sixteenth distance, especially considering the gelding’s habit of walking out of the starting gate. “Obviously, we’d love a mile and an eighth, but there aren’t many spots to run him in,” Grant said. “We’ve been lobbying to bring back the Saratoga Breeders’ Cup (a race Evening Attire won in 2002) at a mile and a quarter, but I don’t think that will happen.” When reached at his home in Boston, Grant said he had just gotten off the phone with T.J. Kelly. The two were discussing, amongst other things, who to breed Evening Attire’s dam to. Concolour, who is now 20, has produced 11 foals but none of the other 10 have come close to Evening Attire’s accomplishments. “Evening Attire is a once-in-a-lifetime horse,” Grant said when asked if he was disappointed in the other horses Concolour has produced. “Most of them are hard-knocking horses that have earned over $100,000. Only two that have raced haven’t won. That’s a pretty good record.” On Sunday, Grant will turn his attention to the Patriots, who host the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game. “I’ve been a Pats fan for a long time,” Grant said. “In fact, one of the first dates I took my wife on was to a Patriots game. They were playing the Jets and both teams were so bad, I remember them calling it the ‘Toilet Bowl.’ The Patriots were punting and I think the ball went backwards once it got up in the air and they lost 10 yards.” Grant held season tickets to the Patriots for a long time, but gave them up a few years ago. “When I first got the tickets, I couldn’t give them away,” Grant said. “Now they’re the hottest ticket in town. I don’t really miss going to the games. I’d rather watch them at home in front of the fireplace with some wine and cheese.” Grant, one of the more colorful characters at the track, surprisingly said he does not bet much. But even he would have to get down a proposition bet of Evening Attire onto the Patriots if such a wager was offered. Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:57:09 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article18.phtml From DRF Aqueduct | Posted 1/16/2008 Evening Attire giving it a go at 10 By DAVID GRENING OZONE PARK, N.Y. - At an age when most Grade 1 winners have long since been retired, the resilient gelding Evening Attire keeps right on going. He ended his 9-year-old campaign with a hard-charging head victory in last month's Grade 3 Queens County Handicap that woke up sleepy Aqueduct and had Internet chat rooms buzzing. Saturday, Evening Attire is expected to make his 10-year-old debut in the $75,000 Aqueduct Handicap, a race he won in 2002. Before looking ahead, it's worth taking a look back at a career that has seen Evening Attire participate in 42 graded stakes - with nine wins - and register an unofficial record 29 triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures while winning over all four of the New York Racing Association's dirt surfaces. Evening Attire, a son of Black Tie Affair owned by T.J. Kelly and Joseph and Mary Grant, has been around so long that three of his 12 jockeys - Robbie Davis, Mark Guidry, and Jose Santos - have retired. On the eve of Evening Attire's 10-year-old debut, Pat Kelly, who took over the training of Evening Attire when his brother Tim retired in the fall of 2000, chose the following as Evening Attire's 10 most memorable moments. 1. Jockey Club Gold Cup, Sept. 28, 2002: In a field of eight that included Grade 1 winners Lido Palace and Harlan's Holiday, Evening Attire encountered traffic entering the far turn, split horses midway around that turn, then rallied along the rail in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths for his first and only Grade 1 victory. "Even then we knew Belmont wasn't his favorite track, but he was doing good, he was on a good roll, and the race set up good for him," Kelly said. "If you look back now, it's the only race he's ever won at Belmont, which is pretty strange." Evening Attire is 1 for 17 over Belmont Park's dirt course. 2. Saratoga Breeders' Cup, Aug. 22, 2004: A then-record record crowd of 70,175 came to Saratoga to see the upstate debut of Funny Cide - and get a pint glass. But it was Evening Attire who spoiled the party by charging to a five-length victory in the Grade 2 stakes, which Evening Attire also won in 2002. "I was just glad to win a race," Kelly said. "I had no problem with Funny Cide - that was a neat story. But it's just neat to win races at Saratoga." Evening Attire has five career victories at Saratoga. 3. Discovery Handicap, Oct. 31, 2001: Before turning into a stone-cold closer, the 3-year-old Evening Attire showed he could be successful stalking the pace, as he raced close up along the inside and continued on along the rail outfinishing the talented Street Cry to win the Grade 3 Discovery Handicap by one length. As the longest shot on the board at 65-1, Evening Attire returned $133. 4. Queens County Handicap, Dec. 8, 2007: Around the far turn, Evening Attire began to launch a bid from well off the pace, and he continued on through the stretch to get up by a head over Barcola. A crowd of 5,677 was at Aqueduct, and many came outside to the rail to applaud the 9-year-old on his first graded stakes victory in 25 months. "It's always nice when he wins because of the fans," Kelly said. "He's built up such a following. There were people outside. Normally nobody comes out except the guys hollering at the guy who got beat." 5. Clark Handicap, Nov. 28, 2003: Officially, Evening Attire has never won outside of New York, but he did cross the finish line first in the Grade 2 Clark at Churchill Downs. He was disqualified, however, for a bump in the stretch with Quest and placed second. "He ran great," Kelly said. "I still don't know why we get DQ'd looking at the head-on." 6. Breeders' Cup Classic, Oct. 26, 2002: Coming off victories in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup and Jockey Club Gold Cup, Evening Attire was the "buzz" horse entering the Classic at Arlington Park. Sent off as the 9-2 third choice behind 3-year-olds Medaglia d'Oro and War Emblem, Evening Attire closed from 11th at the quarter pole to get fourth, beaten 9 3/4 lengths by longshot winner Volponi. "He was still last almost at the top of the stretch and did one of those, 'Well, I'll get you fourth anyway,' " Kelly said. "It was muddy all week, then we had the rain early in the card, and it went from sloppy to in-between. I think he would have liked it fast; I think he would have liked it sloppy." 7. Stymie Handicap, March 3, 2007: After winning the Stuyvesant Handicap in 2005, Evening Attire lost his next seven races, including all five starts in 2006. He was turned out following a last-place finish in an off-the-turf allowance race in May 2006, and it seemed as if that might be it for him. But Evening Attire did not enjoy farm life, and he returned to Kelly's barn in the fall. The Stymie was his second start off a layoff, and he closed powerfully to win the race by 2 1/2 lengths over Malibu Moonshine. "That was a memorable race, because we weren't sure where we were at with him," Kelly said. 8. Aqueduct Handicap, Jan. 19, 2002: With falling snow creating a holiday-like atmosphere, Evening Attire dashed through the snowflakes around the far turn and opened up a six-length lead by the eighth pole en route to a 2 3/4-length victory. This despite jumping tire tracks left by the starting gate in the stretch. "It was a driving snowstorm, and they came around where the gate was, the lights were on, and he jumped right over the tire tracks," Kelly said. "We thought he could be a jumper, but we've never gone there." 9. Stuyvesant Handicap, Nov. 19, 2005: Evening Attire entered this race having lost nine consecutive races. But this day he raced close up to a slow pace and was able to wear down favored West Virginia by a neck. "Almost every race that he's won, he's up close over on the far turn, you can see him looming,'' Kelly said. The races he didn't run good in, he'd be last, struggling with guys pushing on him." 10. John B. Campbell Handicap, Feb. 14, 2004: In search of a distance race, Kelly shipped Evening Attire to Laurel for the $150,000 John Campbell Breeders' Cup Handicap, a 1 1/8-mile race at which he was sent off as the 2-5 favorite. Evening Attire tried to rally along the inside under Shaun Bridgmohan, but he was shut off by Rogue Agent at the three-sixteenths pole and wound up finishing third. Evening Attire was put up to second by the stewards, who disqualified Rogue Agent. "That was a dramatic race," Kelly said. "Most horses would have probably pulled up. He was about halfway over the fence. All his feet are off the ground, and he was leaning on the rail." Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:55:13 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article17.phtml From DRF Aqueduct | Posted 1/8/2008 Evening Attire works bullet half-mile By DAVE LITFIN OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Evening Attire's final start at age 9 was a determined win in the Queens County Handicap on Dec. 8, the 14th victory of a career that is still going strong. Evening Attire's first workout as a 10-year-old came on Tuesday, and to the continuing amazement of trainer Pat Kelly the near-white gelding rattled off a bullet half-mile in 47.80 seconds, the fastest of 36 works at the distance on the training track at Belmont Park that day. "He was only supposed to go a nice 49 because he's not running for a couple of weeks," said Kelly, who is targeting the 1o1/16-mile Aqueduct Handicap a week from Saturday as Evening Attire's 64th career start. "He's amazing, he just keeps plugging along," Kelly said, adding that he probably will have to find a new rider for Evening Attire next out because Edgar Prado is currently riding in Florida. "I'll probably have to switch pilots," Kelly said. I don't think Prado's coming back for that race." Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:53:53 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article16.phtml http://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/stories/Dec122007.shtml Tommy Kelly Still On Cloud 9 After Evening Attire's Victory By Jenny Kellner | December 9, 2007 The morning after nine-year-old Evening Attire ran off with the 102nd edition of the Grade 3 Queens County Handicap at Aqueduct, Tommy Kelly was still pinching himself. “I’m on Cloud 9,” said Kelly, 88, who bred and owns Evening Attire in partnership with Joe and Mary Grant. “He’s such a great horse that the good Lord has bestowed on Joe Grant and myself. I’m still so excited I said my rosary beads backwards today at mass.” To listen to Kelly talk, it sounds as if the veteran gelding’s success were the highlight of his career. In fact, he is just another heart-warming chapter in the Hall of Famer’s life around horses, which began in the 1930’s when he walked hots for John Hertz and, much like Evening Attire, is still going strong today, as an owner and breeder. In between he saddled the winners of 95 stakes races, including champion sprinter Plugged Nickle, Colonel Moran, King’s Bishop, and Pet Bully, and was inducted into racing’s Hall of Fame in 1993. “My life has been, bottom to top, amazing,” said Kelly, who retired from training in 1998. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would get so lucky. Evening Attire is like icing on the cake.” Kelly, who now lives in Miami Springs, Florida, with his wife Frances, recalled the day he bought Evening Affair’s dam, Concolour, from a former client, Doe Run Farm. “I was at the farm, and there in a field was this one little mare, all by herself – no pony, no goat, nothing to keep her company,” said Kelly. “I said to the owner, ‘You have an unhappy camper there.’ He put a price on her, and Joe Grant went 50-50 with me, and we started having foals.” One of her first was Evening Attire, who was born on Valentine’s Day the year Kelly retired from racing. When Kelly saw the son of Black Tie Affair breeze for the first time, he remarked “that’s a special horse – he’ll be a stakes winner.” Indeed. Among the stakes Evening Attire has won in his 63 race career are the 2001 Discovery Handicap, the 2002 and 2004 Saratoga Breeders’ Cup, the 2002 Red Smith Handicap, the 2002 Jockey Club Gold Cup and the 2001 and 2007 editions of the Queens County Handicap. “Who knew then how special he would be,” said Kelly of Evening Attire, who was initially trained by son Tim and is now conditioned by another son, Pat. “Here’s a horse who has gone through life knowing exactly what his job is. He’s run on the inside, outside, in the snow, in mud … I think he’s got a great race record for any horse. I’m happy when he’s third, because he pays some bills. And for him to run like he did yesterday, just 23 days shy of turning ten years old -- what a great horse.” In the mile and three-sixteenths Queens County, Evening Attire broke slowly, then began moving up of his own accord at the half-mile pole, taking on front-running Barcola at the top of the lane and prevailing after a stretch-long duel, much to the delight of his many fans in the crowd at Aqueduct – and Kelly. “I was watching on television with my wife and daughter, Trish, and son in law,” he said. “I didn’t know how he was going to run, but Pat had told me, ‘Pop, remember he loves the inner track.’ Then, when I saw him running so good and kind, and how happy he was – well, my back and legs aren’t what they used to be, but I jumped right up off of that couch. “The phone rang right after the race, and it was Joe Grant calling from Saratoga. He was so happy. And when the jock brought him back to the winner’s circle – I’ve never seen [Edgar Prado] hug a horse around the neck like that. This horse has so many friends, it’s unbelievable. If I’d been at Aqueduct, I would have been crying like a baby. He’s a horse who’s just a great old horse, grand, and popular.” Kind of like his owner. Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:50:02 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article15.phtml Sunday, December 09, 2007 http://www.horseraceinsider.com/John-Pricci/ The Old Gray Man Is What He Used To Be Written by John Pricci With the possible exception of a couple of maiden breakers, yesterday’s Aqueduct card was pretty mundane. Except as we said, for Barrier Reef, who half bolted entering the backstretch in the second-race for juvenile colts. Having bet on Hedgefund Investor, that was a yip-pee for me. H.I was cruising on the lead, and when he opened the lead out to nearly four lengths in midstretch, it was “why didn’t I bet mo…?” What’s this? Oh no, it’s Barrier Reef, had made a strong turn move into the lane and had momentum, but still had a lot to do. But the combination of the leader tiring and Barrier Reef hitting overdrive combined for a going-away victory beneath a persistent Johnny Velazquez. While I had no stake in the fourth race, emotional or otherwise, I still had to admire the stretch rally of the debuting That’srightofficer. In one breath it was “will he get there?” In the next, it was “no problem.” He drew out smartly, winning in full stride under Edgar Prado, a wide smiling Edgar Prado as he accompanied the ’Officer’ to the winner’s enclosure. At the other end of the spectrum, fittingly, it was an old gray man, Evening Attire, who, three weeks short of his 10th birthday, that would own the day. Barcola, as expected, was in complete control on the front end in the Grade 3 Queens County Handicap, looking like he’d be tough to beat even though over a half mile remained. But Evening Attire was running free on this afternoon, narrowing a lead that still appeared insurmountable as the field approached the turn for home. When Barcola put daylight between himself and his closest pursuers, the result appeared inevitable. But the younger legs that carried Evening Attire to a Jockey Club Gold Cup victory years ago just kept chugging. And Barcola was feeling the heat now, tiring but still chugging himself. Despite remaining on his left lead--at his age, E.A. can use whatever lead he wants--ran down Barcola right on the line. It’s a crusty bunch of curmudgeons that gather at the Saratoga Harness simulcast each Saturday, but even they erupted as one when the wire neared, and burst into applause when Evening Attire reached the wire first. I needed Barcola to win, but even I had to smile when the old boy got up. It was, after all, T.J and Joe and Mary Grant that owned him, and that’s a trifecta no one can root against. Got to love Mary, who refused to sell her big horse to Middle Eastern interests for not quite stupid money, but into seven figures, anyway, back when Evening Attire had a lot less gray hair. Mary Grant loves this horse the way her Hall of Fame partner, T. J. Kelly, loves all the horses, especially this one which, along with the Grants, bred this foal of 1998. Yesterday, their old warhorse reciprocated in a fashion that has been his custom, winning for the 14th time in 63 starts, banking more than $2.7-million along the way. Now if the story of a near 10-year-old horse winning a 102-year-old race is not worth applauding, I don't know what would be. Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:44:54 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article14.phtml From The Saratogian Mike Veitch: Evening attire continues to amaze By Mike Veitch They’ve been running the Queens County Handi¬cap for more than 100 years, but until Saturday, no 9-year-old had ever won the historic event. The incredible Evening Attire made that history with his patented stretch run in the 102nd edition of the Queens County at Aqueduct Race Track. As usual, the old boy took his time at the start, meaning he walked out of the gate and spotted the field several lengths going into the first turn. But with Edgar Prado back in the irons, Evening Attire seemed a bit keener on the backstretch than in his last several races. Advertisement Click Here Rallying wide on the stretch turn, he ran down pacesetter Barcola to win by a neck. Evening Attire paid $8.50 to win and sent his career earn¬ings to $2,749,894, with a record of 14-13-9 in 63 starts. Trained by Pat Kelly, he won his second Queens Coun¬ty; the first came as a mere 3-year-old in 2001. Kelly has tried to retire him, but Evening Attire will have none of that. He is happiest at the track, and his courage on Saturday was a wonderful example of why thoroughbreds are so special. Owned by Pat’s father, Hall of Fame trainer Tom Kelly, and Joseph and Mary Grant, Evening Attire has also won the Saratoga Cup twice. Along with those two are the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Discovery, Aqueduct, Red Smith, Stuyvesant and Stymie handicaps. He is a true New York horse, who won a true New York handicap at the quintes¬sential New York racetrack. The Queens County Jockey Club opened Aqueduct in 1894; the famous Carter Handicap was inaugurated there in 1895. The Queens County got under way in 1902, and has been won by some of racing’s great¬est stars. Old Rosebud (1917), Roamer (1918), Grey Lag (1922), and Zev (1923) were the first four Hall of Famers to win the Queens County. War Admiral (1938), Gal¬lorette (1947) and Bold Ruler (1957) also won the Queens County on the way to induction into the Hall of Fame in Sarato¬ga Springs. With the clock winding down on the New York Racing Associ¬ation’s license to conduct rac¬ing, Evening Attire was a noble reminder of what this game is really all about. As he began his long drive a few furlongs from home, he made me forget the franchise cauldron we’ve been dealing with the past few years. I was thinking only of Evening Attire, a thoroughbred who kept telling his trainer that he wasn’t done, that he didn’t want to stop racing, and that he loved being out there on a late autumn day on a New York track. A track that has been maligned by so many people, yet has served racing so well for more than a century. None of his opponents had even seen a racetrack when he last won this very race. But there was Evening Attire, kicking on in the final furlong to win for his New York friends one more time. Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Assembly Majority Leader Sheldon Silver, and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno are three New Yorkers who hold the fate of this game in their hands. You could mention Evening Attire to them, and they would probably figure you were talk¬ing about tonight’s dress code. Had they been at the Big A Saturday, the Evening Attire that is so widely admired might have drawn them to the heart of the franchise issue. The horse. Michael Veitch writes about horse racing for The Sarato¬gian. His column appears Wednesday and Sunday. Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:40:54 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article13.phtml Thoroughbred Times Veteran Evening Attire wins second Queens County by Ron Parker Nine-year-old Evening Attire made his 63rd lifetime start a winning one Saturday as the venerable Black Tie Affair (Ire) gelding caught front-running Barcola at the wire to win the $104,900 Queens County Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct. Mary and Joseph Grant’s and Thomas Kelly’s homebred Evening Attire was making his fifth appearance in the Queens County, winning the 2001 edition before finishing second in ’03 and ’04, and fourth in ’05. Barcola was quickest out of the gate in the 1 3/16-mile contest. Evening Attire, who has a habit of breaking slowly from inside posts, made no exception to this practice as he broke last in the six-horse field. Jockey Edgar Prado angled Evening Attire over toward the rail as he settled into fourth position, ahead of 1.95-to-1 favorite Hunting as Barcola maintained a comfortable lead with reasonable fractions of :48.38 for a half-mile and 1:12.74 for six-furlongs. Nearing, the far turn Prado edged Evening Attire out for clear sailing and they began a sustained move that carried down the stretch as they slowly closed the gap, finally catching Barcola in the shadow of the wire for a head victory. “He knows his way around the track,” Prado said. “When he’s right, he’s pretty tough. When he moved at the half-mile pole, I wasn’t even riding him which made me feel good. He needed some [extra] warming up, as does everyone who’s getting older.” Evening Attire finished in 1:58.02 over the fast track while Barcola was three lengths clear of third-place finisher Hunting. “It’s always neat when he wins,” trainer Pat Kelly said. “He’s always broken a step slow, it started when he was two.” The victory snapped a nine-race losing skid for Evening Attire. All but one of those defeats came at distances less than 1 3/16 miles. “The distance is good for him, he’ll just wear them down,” Kelly said. “He’s competitive in races I never dreamed he’d be in at this age.” The win marked the ninth graded stakes victory among ten stakes wins for Evening Attire, who increased his earnings to $2,749,894. Overall, he has won 14 of 63 career starts. Although he will be a ten-year-old in a few weeks, there are no plans for retirement, something the owners tried last year only to learn that Evening Attire wanted no part of being away from the track. “If there’s racing next year we’ll be here,” Kelly said. “I don’t know what else we’d do with him.” Evening Attire is out of the Our Native mare Concolour. Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:07:50 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article12.phtml FROM NYRA "Old Man" Evening Attire Wears Down Rivals In Queens County By Jenny Kellner | December 8, 2007 Even with his 10th birthday rapidly approaching, Evening Attire was able to accomplish something he hadn’t done since 2005 – win a graded stakes. In his 63rd lifetime start, the graying son of Black Tie Affair rallied through the stretch to nip Barcola at the wire, adding the 102nd edition of the Grade 3, $106,900 Queens County Handicap to his lengthy resume. “It’s always neat when he wins,” said Pat Kelly, who trains Evening Attire for Mary Grant, Thomas J. Kelly and Joseph M. Grant. “He’s now run in this race five times – he won in 2001 when he was three – but he didn’t run in it last year because he was coming off a layoff.” Under Edgar Prado, Evening Attire made his usual dawdling start in the mile and three-sixteenths Queens County, settling in fourth, just ahead of the late-running Hunting, as Barcola took the field through fractions of 24.12, 48.38 and 1:12.74. At the half-mile pole, Evening Attire began moving up of his own accord, coming wide off the turn to engage the pacesetter in a stretch-long duel and prevailing by a head at the wire. “He knows his way around the track,” said Prado, who entered the winner’s circle aboard Evening Attire sporting a huge grin. “When he’s right, he’s pretty tough. When he moved up at the half-mile pole, I wasn’t even riding him, which made me feel good.” Evening Attire’s winning time was 1:58.01 over the fast inner track. “The distance is good for him; he’ll just wear them down,” said Kelly. “He’s competitive in races I never dreamed he’d be in at this age.” Hunting, the favorite in the field of five, was three lengths behind Barcola in third, followed by Marital Asset and Nkosi Reigns. Barracuda Boy was scratched. The victory was the first in a graded stakes for Evening Attire since 2005, when he won the Stuyvesant Handicap (G3), and his first this year since winning the Stymie on March 7. Overall, the gelding now has 14 victories in 63 starts, with 13 seconds and nine thirds. The winner’s purse of $64,140 boosted his bankroll to $2,749,894. Evening Attire returned $8.50 for a $2 win bet to his backers in the giveaway day crowd, which applauded loudly as he returned to the winner’s circle. “We were lucky enough to get Edgar back on him – they’ve got a pretty good record together,” said Kelly, who was then asked: Will he race again next year? “If there’s racing next year we’ll be here,” said the trainer. “I don’t know what else we’d do with him.” Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:04:04 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article11.phtml Evening Attire puts his fans on Cloud 9 By DAVID GRENING Evening Attire OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The old gray gelding remembered what he used to be in Saturday's Grade 3 Queens County Handicap at Aqueduct. The 9-year-old Evening Attire unleashed his trademark late run under Edgar Prado and was able to wear down the pacesetting Barcola to take the $106,900 Queens County Handicap by a head. It was three lengths back to the 9-5 favorite, Hunting, in third. Marital Asset and Nkosi Reigns completed the order of finish. Barracuda Boy scratched. It was the 14th victory in 63 career starts for Evening Attire, a son of Black Tie Affair, and his first since he took the Stymie Handicap over the inner track on March 3. Evening Attire won the Queens County in 2001 while also running second in it twice and fourth once. "It's always neat when he wins,'' said Pat Kelly, who trains Evening Attire for his father, T.J. Kelly, and co-owners Joseph and Mary Grant. A habitual slow starter, Evening Attire walked out of the starting gate. Barcola, under Eibar Coa, went to the lead while Marital Asset chased him through fractions of 24.12 seconds, 48.38 and 1:12.74. Evening Attire saved ground while racing in fourth position before moving around a fading Nkosi Reigns on the far turn. Barcola put away Marital Asset in the stretch but Evening Attire, who began his move at the half-mile pole, came three wide turning for home. Though Coa kept after Barcola and began to drift out into Evening Attire in deep stretch, Evening Attire forged to the front in the final 30 yards. Evening Attire covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:58.01 and returned $8.50. He increased his lifetime earnings to $2,749,894. "When he's right he's very tough, and he proved it today," said Prado, who won aboard Evening Attire for the first time since July 23, 2003. "When he moved at the half-mile pole, I wasn't even riding. He just took me there, you know, and that made me feel real good. The only thing was if he continued to go in the stretch like that." Kelly said unless something goes amiss, Evening Attire will race as a 10-year-old "If there's racing, we'll be here. I don't know what else to do with him," said Kelly, who won the day's last race with Peconic Bay ($73). "He's competitive in races I'd never dreamed he'd be in at this stage." * Evening Attire wasn't the only 9-year-old to win on Saturday's card. Explosive Count ($7), a 9-year-old son of Count the Time, took the sixth. Copyright © 2007 Daily Racing Form, LLC. All rights reserved. Sat, 08 Dec 2007 20:01:32 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article10.phtml From NYRA Soon 10, Evening Attire Makes Fifth Queens County Start In less than a month nine-time stakes winner Evening Attire will turn 10, which prompted trainer Pat Kelly to ask a very important question. “Can he still run in New York at 10?” said Kelly, who has managed the nine-year-old gelding to 13 lifetime wins and earnings of nearly $2.7 million. “I don’t think there’s a rule that he can’t run.” While most geldings Evening Attire’s age are either retired or running for cheap claiming tags, the son of Black Tie Affair is still going strong. Maybe he has lost a step over the last couple years, especially at the start where he always seems to spot his competition a few lengths, but he still tries hard in every race. His owners, Joseph and Mary Grant and T.J. Kelly, tried to retire him in 2006, but Evening Attire only wanted to be on the racetrack, so they brought him back after only a couple months off. “I try to go to church every Sunday and thank The Lord,” Kelly said. On Saturday, Evening Attire will make his fifth start in the Grade 3, $100,000 Queens County Handicap at a mile and three-sixteenths, a race he won back in 2001 at the ripe old age of three. He ran second in 2003 and 2004 and was fourth in 2005. Although Evening Attire is a habitually slow breaker these days, a plethora of early speed in the Queens County could help his chances down the stretch. “Every time he gets an inside post, he comes out slow,” Kelly said. “In his last race he broke from post one and sat there for a while because they were having trouble loading an outside horse. When he’s the last one in or second-to-last, he pops right out of there. When he stands down inside he goes to sleep.” Twelve lengths back early in his last race, the Stuyvesant, the veteran gray rallied for third to be beaten only 2 ¼ lengths by Hunting, a rival he must face again Saturday. Hunting figures to be the horse to beat in the Queens County as Evening Attire will try to outkick that rival while attempting to break a nine-race streak in which he has either finished third or fourth. Win or lose Saturday, Kelly, his staff and his owners are just happy to parade Evening Attire out there with a chance. “He’s smart and takes care of himself,” Kelly said when asked about the keys to Evening Attire’s longevity. “He knows the routine. He loves being at the track. He likes being around all the other horses. He raises more hell at feed time than the youngsters.” Edgar Prado will ride Evening Attire from post three, one of three horses weighted at 115 pounds along with Hunting and Barracuda Bay. The apparent pace of the Queens County sets up for Evening Attire and four-year-old Hunting. The latter is hitting peak form right now for trainer Shug McGaughey, parlaying a second-level allowance win at Monmouth during Breeders’ Cup week into a 9-1 upset in the Stuyvesant. With only Evening Attire behind him in the Stuyvesant, Stuart Janney III’s Hunting uncorked a rally good enough to beat runner-up Utopia by a length. One of the many speed horses in the Queens County is Edward Evans’ Marital Asset, who comes off a pair of allowance wins at Philadelphia Park. The four-year-old A.P. Indy colt will be making just his third start for trainer Tony Dutrow Saturday after beginning his career with Mark Hennig. “I was very happy with the way he looked and the way he was moving when he came into our barn,” Dutrow said. “I started out light with him, but as he gave me more confidence I trained him harder and he responded well. He’s an A.P. Indy, so maybe he’s just starting to get good.” Both of Marital Asset’s races for Dutrow have come on the lead, but he was more of a stalker in his races for Hennig. Speaking of Mark Hennig, he will saddle J. Paul Reddam’s Barcola in the Queens County. He set an honest pace in the Stuyvesant last month, but faded to sixth in the stretch beaten 5 ¼ lengths by Hunting. Barracuda Bay seems to be speed happy and will have top gate rider C.C. Lopez in the irons, which means he will probably be on the lead. Nkosi Reigns has shown speed in a few of his American starts, but seems to be able to come from just off the pace as well. Regardless, he will need to improve off his distant fifth in the Kelso at Delaware Park in September for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:59:14 -0500 http://grantracingstable.com/nuke/Article9.phtml From NYRA Francis LaBelle Jr. | March 3, 2007 Chart http://www.grantracingstable.com/Stymie.pdf Stymie himself would have been proud. Nine-year-old Evening Attire, who had not won in seven starts since a neck victory in the Stuyvesant Handicap here in November of 2005, split horses in the lane and galloped on to a 2 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s 52nd running of the $72,605 Stymie Handicap for three-year-olds and up at nine furlongs on Aqueduct’s fast inner dirt track. Like Hall of Famer Stymie, who started 131 times and had his most financially profitable season at age six when he won seven handicap races, including a defeat of Triple Crown winner Assault and Phalanx in the International Gold Cup at Belmont Park in 1947, Evening Attire proved that age means little if you have class. This was the 13th victory of Evening Attire’s 53-race career, and often, he has been victimized by slow starts at the gate and by paceless races. Like Stymie, he is a stretch runner and needs a legitimate pace to be at his best. Saturday, under jockey Jose Espinoza, Evening Attire again broke last but he wasn’t far behind his seven rivals. As Silver Prospector took a narrow lead from Tall Story and Tasteyville, to get the first quarter in :23.42 and the half in :46.62, Evening Attire was guided to the rail to save ground. Silver Prospector maintained his lead after three-quarters in 1:10.69 and the mile in 1:37.05, but Evening Attire began to make his move. Having stayed in close contact with the field, he was ready to do his best. As he neared the eighth-pole, Evening Attire shot through a hole and put the issue to rest, winning in 1:49.57 and delighting a crowd of 4,121. Particularly pleased were the $2 win bettors, who were rewarded with a $19.60 payoff, and ownrs Joe and Mary Grant and Hall of Fame trainer Tommy “T.J.” Kelly, whose son, Pat, trains Evening Attire. “Everything worked out fine,” said Pat Kelly. “We had him over at the gate a couple of days ago. He was raring to go and hopped out of there the other morning. He was able to save some ground today, and he loves a mile and an eighth. It’s really neat. No body really knew what to do last year. Technically, he wasn’t retired; we just sent him away for awhile. He’s a neat horse. He loves what he does. Jose (Espinoza) had a whole lot of horse. We’ll see where we go with him.” Espinoza was ecstatic with the performance of the Black Tie Affair gelding, who has earned more than $2.5 million in his career. “He broke sharp,” Espinoza said. “He took me all the way around there. The pace was fast and I tried to save ground with him. He was so aggressive coming through the hole in the stretch. He loves the game. He’s like a new horse.” Malibu Moonshine was second, followed by Angliana, Silver Prospector, Tall Story, Tasteyville, favored Carminooch, Dazzling Dr. Cevin and Colita. __________________________________________________________________ FROM DRF Aqueduct | Posted 3/3/2007, 7:16 pm Evening Attire still kicking By MIKE DELNAGRO The once-top-class 9-year-old gelding Evening Attire sprung a surprise flashback performance on Saturday at Aqueduct, rallying in deep stretch as if the year were 2002 or 2003 to win the $72,605 Stymie Handicap going away. Off at 8-1 in the field of nine, Evening Attire plugged along in seventh up the backstretch of the 1 1/8-mile race, in his usual off-the-pace style. Silver Prospector, 12-1, went to the front and under Chuck Lopez and set quick, pressured fractions of 23.42 for the quarter mile, 46.62 for the half, and 1:10.69 for six furlongs. Silver Prospector shook off pace-pressers Tasteyville and Tall Story in midstretch, but the closers were coming. Evening Attire, ridden by Jose Espinoza, was still seventh turning for home, about eight lengths behind, but inched up to fifth by midstretch, then made a sharp move at the eighth pole, angling out between horses and outsprinting them all to the wire. Malibu Moonshine, coupled with Colita as the Gary Contessa-trained entry, closed fast for second, beaten 2o1/4 lengths. Angliana rallied for third, another 1 1/4 lengths behind. Carminooch, the tepid 5-2 favorite, raced wide near the rear, moved up to fourth turning for home, and flatted out, finishing seventh. Trained by Pat Kelly and owned by a partnership, Evening Attire was timed in 1:49.75 and paid $19.60. It was the first victory since November 2005 for Evening Attire, who once competed against some of the best horses in the land. From June 2002 to November 2003, Evening Attire ran in 11 Grade 1 and Grade 2 races. In that span he ran against such stars as Mineshaft, Funny Cide, and Medaglia d'Oro. His two starts before Saturday, though, had been in optional claimers. Saturday's victory was the 14th of Evening Attire's 54-race career, and the winner's purse of $43,563 raised his earnings to $2,633,227. Sat, 03 Mar 2007 17:12:47 -0500